Just a little more
by IceBlueWings
Summary: High school fic. GaLe. Levy meets Gajeel Redfox, formerly from Phantom Lord Academy, and her life is involved in his in more ways than one.
1. The Rock City Boy

**1. The Rock City Boy**

Fairy Tail Academy is situated in the heart of Magnolia city, a large school with an equally large dorm appropriately divided between males and females. Everyone who attended the Fairy Tail Academy are not strangers, and welcomed newcomers with open arms.

Fairy Tail Academy had various rivals among the city, where there were other major Academies of nearly equal, if not equal at all, strength in their academic and sports qualities. For a long time these academies have stayed without disturbing other academies, so there were not many disagreements. However, that is not to say that none of these academies had problems that at times affected neighbouring academies, although these problems were often dismissed as minor problems.

Levy McGarden had been in Fairy Tail Academy since she was six years old, and some have been in the Academy from a younger age. Regardless, Fairy Tail Academy is her home and she grew up with her childhood friends here.

Around three months ago, a newcomer named Lucy arrived. Lucy was actually found by Natsu Dragneel, a long time member of Fairy Tail Academy, and she was introduced to the academy by him. Lucy and Levy became close friends instantly, and Lucy was also able to fit into the academy easily.

Fairy Tail Academy also had guys from inside the academy and outside the academy, falling head over heels for the girls in Fairy Tail. There was Erza, a red headed beauty; Cana, the feisty yet friendly brunette; Mirajane, the gentle fairy; Levy, the smart and cute book lover, and now Lucy has risen to become part of the group.

But the academy has its fair share of good guys too. Although he is a little blunt and clueless, Natsu was still popular among the girls. Gray, despite his strange habit of taking off his clothes, did not lose to Natsu's popularity. Then there were others such as Elfman, a tough yet gentle guy who is also Mirajane's younger brother; Loki, a flirtatious yet handsome young man, and Jellal, who apparently is notorious, but equally popular among the girls.

Regardless of all of that, Fairy Tail prided itself on its close-knit community, and the students helped out each other whenever they could. Most of the students of Fairy Tail had tragic pasts and this is why students in Fairy Tail stuck close together and treasured each other. When a student of Fairy Tail was found in trouble by another student from outside the academy, there would always be aid from other students in Fairy Tail.

Thus our story begins, on a fateful yet seemingly mundane day in Fairy Tail Academy.

On her way to school, Levy McGarden takes the train from her dormitory to school. As she waits for the train, she flips open her book, a novel of romance and drama. Although it was cheesy at times and she cringed at these moments, she continued to read. It was sort of like her guilty pleasure. She hardly read these kinds of books since she preferred to read thrillers or fantasy, but occasionally she liked to read romance novels.

She takes a break from reading after three pages and the train still hasn't arrived. _God, really? Has the train broken down or something?_ She thought, and she looked ahead, seeing the platform across her.

There she saw an ominous looking guy. His hair was kept long and he had studs around his face and ears (and possibly other areas), and he just looked a little menacing. He stood there, with the collar of his uniform blazer unbuttoned and he looked untidy.

Now, Levy wasn't the type who judged people by their looks, but she couldn't deny that she would feel uncomfortable if he was near her. She looked at the logo on his blazer. It looked very similar to the Phantom Lord logo, another academy situated in Magnolia. Right, he's from Phantom Lord. I shouldn't worry too much, since he's not going to be in Fairy Tail.

Just then she noticed that his gaze was upon her. And she felt uncomfortable, as though he was scrutinizing her every being. Hearing the train nearing, she closed her book and placed it back into her bag. Averting her eyes from him, she waited for the train to come, but not without noticing a frightening grin on his face.

Once the train appeared, she hopped on to it hastily, and she even imagined him having a snicker similar to a "Gihi".

* * *

><p>Reaching the gates of Fairy Tail Academy relaxed her and warmed her heart instantly. Oh, she would never get tired of this place, and of the people here. She would be sad if she ever had to leave this place, and this will be her one true home. But until she leaves, she will treasure every moment of her life here.<p>

"Levy!" She heard a familiar voice call her. She turned around and saw Lucy running towards her, catching up with her as they entered the school together.

"Hi, Lucy!" Levy smiled. "Oh, I just had the worst experience in my life when I was waiting for the train. Some guy from Phantom Lord Academy was on the platform across mine, and he looked really scary." She said, shuddering at the memory.

Lucy was concerned. "You shouldn't have looked at him! Or maybe…" She paused, and a teasing smile lit across her face. "He thinks you're cute."

Levy grimaced. "Please, Lucy. As much as I'd be flattered to hear that, I'd rather not have someone scary from Phantom Lord think that I'm cute." She said, as she slid open the door to their classroom, the two taking their respective seats beside each other. Levy started playing with her tie which had the Fairy Tail logo on it's tip. "And I'm worried he would actually come here to poke around and pick fights, or something of that sort." She said to Lucy.

Lucy's smile faded. "I know. I'm kind of worried about that too. But look at Fairy Tail, we have tons of strong guys and girls. No one would ever think of picking a fight with Erza and Mirajane. Plus, we have teachers who could kick ass too." She said.

Levy giggled, and what Lucy said was true. Erza was someone no one from Fairy Tail would ever think of picking a fight with. Mirajane may be the sweetest girl you've ever seen, but she was once called the 'demon'. While Lucy has yet to see Mirajane's demon form, Levy has. And it was not sweet.

"And who's to say we can't kick ass either?" Lucy said. She was right again. Even though Lucy and Levy didn't match up to Erza and Mirajane, they were capable of defending themselves. It might be a little strange, but Lucy was skilled at using a whip, and she's not afraid to use it. As for Levy, she's small and quick, and she was quite skilled in making use of whatever she could find on her or around her.

"If anything happens though, Levy, you have to let us know." Lucy said. "We'll do our best to help you."

Levy nodded. "I know. Thanks, Lucy."

* * *

><p>During lunch break, Levy went to buy some food, since she woke up too late to cook her own lunch in the morning. As she was buying a sandwich and a small carton of milk, she heard a few students taking among themselves in a table nearby.<p>

"You know, I'm not really sure whether I'm right, but I think I saw Gajeel outside the school just now." Student A said.

"Gajeel?" Student B said incredulously. "Are you sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you? Why would he come here? There's no reason for him to be here."

Levy was curious, but it didn't seem as if they were sure of anything, so she headed back to class where Lucy was waiting for her. Who is Gajeel, anyway? She felt as though she heard the name before, but she couldn't remember where or who he is.

* * *

><p>After classes finished, Lucy had to hurry back home for a reason that she wasn't quite clear of, as Lucy was running past Levy and saying, "Sorry-Levy-gotta-go-there's-something-happening-at-home-bye!"<p>

So Levy, who did not have to rush back home, decided to go to the library and borrow a book, and after that she bought a small carton of milk to drink on the way to the train station. Not too far but not too near from the school, she noticed a familiar dark, long haired man with studs on his nose and elsewhere on his face, snickering at her.

Levy panicked, although she kept a calm exterior. _Why is he here? _She thought. She sipped her milk as nonchalantly as she could, walking past him a little hastily.

"Hey, aren't you too old to be sipping milk like a baby?" He teased.

She turned around and looked at him with narrowed eyes, irked by his teasing and cocky expression. "Well, aren't you a gentleman." She said sarcastically. "Are you here to make friends, or piss everyone off?" She asked menacingly, or at least she hoped to sound menacing. His face scared her enough, so she doubted her tone of voice fazed him at all.

He snickered, a familiar "Gihihi" heard. "Didn't think you'd be a feisty one." He said, walking closer to her. "Here I thought I could just grab you," He grabbed her arm harshly, earning a yelp from her. "And leave you here as a warning to Fairy Tail."

Levy dropped her carton of milk. Suddenly, she remembered who he is, and she remembered the conversation that the two students had during lunch. "Gajeel," She whispered, looking up at him with her eyes wide in surprise and fear.

"Pleased to meet you," He grinned as he punched her hard in the stomach, releasing her arm and watching her fall to the ground, writhing in pain from his punch. He watched her for a moment when he heard voices.

"Gajeel! Why did you hurt Levy?" Natsu yelled at him, running towards him and ready to hit him.

Mirajane ran to Levy's side and picked her up gently, looking at Gajeel threateningly. "Is this you acting on your own accord, or is this Phantom Lord?" She asked with a venomous tone of voice.

Gajeel snickered again. "What I do is what Phantom Lord wants." He kept a twisted grin as he dodged Natsu's and Gray's punches. "See ya around." He said, leaving a concerned Mirajane, Natsu and Gray next to an unconscious Levy.

* * *

><p>The next morning, an announcement was heard by the principal of Fairy Tail Academy, Makarov. "We are disheartened to hear the events that transpired yesterday, and our dear student Levy who is now taking her rest from the attacks of Gajeel from Phantom Lord Academy." He said, and then his expression turned dark and frightening. "We shall not forgive what Phantom Lord has done to Levy McGarden, and thus I hereby declare that Phantom Lord will not be left alone after what has happened."<p>

"Even though Master Makarov said Phantom Lord would not be left alone, what could he do that isn't the same as what Gajeel had done to Levy?" Natsu asked Erza, Gray, Lucy, Mirajane, and Elfman.

Lucy had a guilty expression on her face. "If only I didn't leave Levy alone yesterday. How stupid was I?" She clenched her fists, disappointed in herself.

Mirajane placed her hand on Lucy's fist. "It's not your fault. We weren't around too. If we had noticed earlier, Levy might not have been injured as she is now."

Natsu nodded. "That's right, Lucy. Don't blame yourself. What we should do now is to kick Phantom Lord's ass and let them know that they should never pick a fight with Fairy Tail!" Natsu growled.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're okay now?" Jet asked Levy.<p>

"You can still take a break from school if you're not feeling well." Droy added.

Jet and Droy were Levy's close friends, and although they lived in the boys' dormitory in another building, they frequently visited Levy's room (without the knowledge of the dorm heads). It was obvious that they had feelings for Levy, and they had confessed to her a long time ago, but she turned them down.

"I'm fine. I can't afford to miss another day of classes." She said, grabbing her bag and walking out of her house, but not before telling the two to get ready for school as well.

On her way to the train station, her eyes darted warily in every corner she could find. She placed her hand over her stomach where he punched her. To think she could be in danger again by him, especially when they could be at the train station at the same time, even though they were going opposite ways.

But he couldn't possibly do anything again, right? News went around fast, and there's no way people didn't know what happened. Right…? She quickened her pace, until she realized she took a wrong turn and she was in an unfamiliar area and no one was around.

"Heh." She heard a chuckle behind her. She whipped her head around, only to have a hand wrapped around her stomach where he punched her. She winced. "Why bother coming out if you're not even well?" He asked her, although he didn't even show any hint of care.

She shivered in fear, turning to look at Gajeel's grinning face. _A devil, _she thought before he punched her in the same place once again, making her faint and being carried over his shoulder like a doll.

And with Levy's sudden disappearance, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Jet, and Droy could not simply stay still, knowing that Phantom Lord must have had a role to play in this.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Oh God, Levy sounds so useless in this chapter, but I'll promise to make her stronger than she seems. Anyway, this is not a one-shot. Yes, the chapter title is the song title "The Rock City Boy" by Jamil. I actually cringed at hearing the song at first (I mean, the lyrics don't really make sense) but I started to like the song after hearing it a few times. Also after listening to the song, it sort of inspired me to write this story.

I will probably be naming my chapter titles after the names of songs that I like and think fits with the chapter, and I will be writing them here just in case anybody is curious and would like to listen to it.

I hope this first chapter is not too bad. Please review, I'll be looking forward to any critiques as well as encouragement, and I will be writing the next chapter.


	2. The Rock City Boy, My Perfect Dream

**2. The Rock City Boy (My Perfect Dream)**

Levy woke up in an unfamiliar place, and she felt completely uncomfortable. Her stomach ached terribly, and she knew why it did. She recalled everything that had happened and she groaned. Then she realized she couldn't move at all. Her hands were tied behind her back and her legs too were tied together. All she knew was that she was in a room that looked strangely similar to a science lab, and she was in the corner, with her arms and legs bound so she couldn't escape.

_Oh, what a pleasant surprise, _she thought, the sense of humour in her mind dry. The door slid open and in stepped the devil. She would have hissed but that would have been strange, despite the fact that she really wanted to just hurt him in any way possible.

"Gihi," He snickered, his eyes looking wickedly sick. She was terrified, but she wasn't going to lose to this guy. What the heck did Phantom Lord want, anyway? She knew Phantom Lord hated Fairy Tail, but for a long time they kept out of each other's paths. Why now?

"What does the devil want with me?" She asks with a venom laden voice.

His smile only grows wider. "So I'm a devil now?" He says. He grabs her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes are narrowed in contempt and his smile fades, his face darkening, nearly completely like a real devil. "If I'm a devil, you are one too."

Levy looked at him in surprise. She hadn't thought of herself as an angel, but never did she think of herself as a devil. **He's** a devil. **He's** evil. **He's **inhuman! "Th-That's stupid! I'm clearly better than you, so I'm not a devil!" She says, moving her face away from him.

He cuts the ropes that bound her arms and legs, and she looks at him in surprise and confusion. Rubbing her wrists, she frowns in suspicion. Knowing her unasked question, he looks at her with a grin. "Since you say you're better than me, show me."

_So he's asking for a fight,_ she thought. "Fine." She looked around the room. She couldn't really find a good tool, so that meant she had to rely on herself. Being smaller than him had its advantages. She ran towards him to land a punch on his face, but he blocked it with his arm. Predicting the move, she bent down and sent a swooping kick to his legs in hopes of tripping them, but before she knew it, he had grabbed her legs and is carrying her upside down.

She gave a yelp, pulling her skirt so he wouldn't see her panties, her face a deep red from embarrassment. He snickered, putting her down on her feet, much to her surprise. "Again," He said, his expression expecting her to put up a good fight.

She clenched her fists, angry. Not only did he embarrass her, he was probably treating her like a little, insignificant girl! She spotted a pole nearby. Why didn't she see that earlier? She grabbed it. This time, she moved faster than before.

Before Gajeel realized, she was behind him, swinging the pole across his head. If not for his fast reflexes, he would have been hit by it. It was close, and even he was taken aback by it. She grinned, swinging her fist at him, followed by an uppercut and a flurry of jabs. She attacked relentlessly. "Don't. Underestimate. Me!" She said with every attack.

Gajeel had his hands full blocking her attacks, but there was a second when he realized his back hit the wall and her fist actually landed his cheek, a hard punch resounding. Levy was surprised for a moment. _My punch…landed_, she thought.

But that was when Gajeel really got angry, sending a flurry of hard punches at her. Levy tried her best to block them. His hands were like iron pipes crashing down on her arms. A punch landed on her face as well, sending her crashing against tables in the room. She held back tears from spilling as she placed her hand on her burning cheek.

Gajeel grinned, walking closer to her and kicking her on her stomach, and she had to wince and squirm once again. The injury on her stomach didn't heal at all, and she was only getting more damage from it. He grabbed her left arm, earning a cry of pain from her. "All I have to do," He held her left arm with both his hands. "Is to break it."

But the look of fear and the tears that spilled from her eyes made him think twice. Why, he wasn't sure, but all of a sudden he didn't want to do it.

"Gajeel!" The two heard Natsu's voice from the corridors.

Gajeel snickered. "Your saviours are here." He walked out, leaving her in pain on the floor.

She knew she wasn't on par with him. He was only toying with her. But she did land a punch. She did hurt him, even though it wasn't such a great degree, but she definitely hurt him. And she smiled.

* * *

><p>Levy was found by Lucy and carried to Fairy Tail's hospital immediately. The bruises on her stomach were going to stay for a while. It turned out that Phantom Lord's students were ordered to infiltrate Fairy Tail Academy and fight the students of Fairy Tail by Master Jose. Master Jose, envious by Master Makarov's accomplishments by making Fairy Tail one of the most well-known and qualified academy, resorted to dirty means to bring it down.<p>

Levy's injuries were partial proof to what Phantom Lord has done to Fairy Tail, and the board of education, after a few days, demanded Phantom Lord Academy to be taken down. Majority of the students of Phantom Lord went to academies other than Fairy Tail, some thinking that Fairy Tail would not accept them while others still held pride of being part of Phantom Lord.

It took nearly two weeks until Levy was able to attend school again, and she was absolutely glad. She was also absolutely glad that she wouldn't have to ever see Gajeel again. _That devil_, she reminded herself, shuddering at the pain she reminisced. Thinking about him still scared her.

"_If I'm a devil, you are one too."_ She remembered him say. For a moment, she thought she didn't call him a devil, because she did realize that he stopped himself from breaking her arm that day for some odd reason. Still, he did harm her a lot, and thanks to him, she had to stay in bed for nearly two weeks. Although the two weeks weren't wasted since she read books, she missed going to school.

Jet and Droy were crying tears of joy when Levy was able to leave the hospital and get back to school. "We missed you, Levy!" They cried as they cooked her their best breakfast, which wasn't quite good in itself, but she gladly ate it out of the goodness of her heart, because today will be a good day.

Today is Monday, and it's a good day, so she would start it good. She would meet Lucy, Erza, Natsu, Gray, and everyone else again, attend classes and enjoy silly in-class jokes with everyone else, and drink all the milk she wants, because today is definitely a good day.

Even though she hated looking like a mummy from the bandages wrapped around her body.

* * *

><p><strong>Two weeks before:<strong>

"Master Makarov!" Gajeel stood in front of the principal of Fairy Tail, while the Master stood before him outside his door. Gajeel had humbly let the Master in. He even served the Master a cup of hot tea. Who ever knew Gajeel drank tea.

Makarov began lecturing Gajeel about right and wrong. "Although I know you know what is right and wrong, boy. I can tell that you're guilty about what you've done." He said.

There was a long silence between them. Gajeel didn't know what to say, and he thought this was the time when Makarov would leave. "Why don't you join my academy?" The master asked, earning a surprised gasp from him.

"Are you seriously saying this? I hurt your students." Gajeel said.

Master Makarov did not hide his contempt. "You did, and I would not forgive you for that."

Gajeel gulped silently, feeling Makarov's silent but deadly anger. "But I'm willing to show you that this is not the end for you. Join my academy, and you will see a better light."

And Gajeel saw the glimpse of light that Makarov promised to show.

* * *

><p>Today is a good day. Levy knew that. She knew it because she met Lucy, who told her all about the story she was currently writing. She knew it because she bought her favourite carton of milk (two of them, in fact) and was sipping the milky goodness as she walked through the gates of the school. She met Erza, Mirajane, and all the other girls such as Bisca and Laki, who all welcomed her back with smiles.<p>

Levy didn't think her ordeal was what it is – an ordeal. She was frightened, she didn't deny that. But it wasn't something traumatic and she kept laughing at everyone's warm welcomes because she didn't think she was worth being showered with such gratitude.

"Don't be silly, Levy," Mirajane said, hugging her. "You are an important member of Fairy Tail, and if you were gone, we would be devastated. Look at Jet and Droy."

Levy turned to look at the pair shedding tears of joy. They were her seniors, but they tended to skip classes sometimes to spend their time with her. Not that she found it annoying, but she wished they would take their classes seriously sometimes.

"But you came especially early today, didn't you?" Bisca asked as they, along with the other friends such as Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane, sat in the small school park. It was a wonder how Bisca still kept up with the conversation with her eyes fixed on Alzack nearby, no doubt that he too was in the park because Bisca was here.

"That's because she's back in school after nearly two weeks!" Lucy said, earning a giggle from Levy.

"In spite of everything, it's great to see that you're alright, Levy." Erza said with a warm smile. "Although you may have had fewer injuries if we came earlier."

Levy shook her head and smiled. "What matters is that you came. I was surprised to hear that Phantom Lord attacked Fairy Tail too, but I'm glad everyone was safe." She couldn't help but wonder what happened to Gajeel. He probably went to another academy.

The bell rang, signaling everyone to get to their respective classes. Lucy, Levy, and Erza headed towards their class after saying their goodbyes to Bisca and Mirajane.

* * *

><p>"I can't wait to have classes again." Levy said, stretching her arms lightly, when she winced from a sharp pain in her left arm. She laughed lightly. "I guess my arm still hurts."<p>

Lucy gave a concerned expression. "Are you sure you're okay? I could help with writing down your notes." She offered as they neared the class. Lucy slid open the door as they kept talking, with Levy saying how she would be fine, even though her arm did hurt a lot more than she thought it did.

And then she saw the worst person sitting next to window, who is also seated on her right. Lucy sat on her left, and Levy felt queasy. She looked at Lucy with wide eyes. "Please tell me you knew about this." She squeaked, though only Lucy heard Levy's statement.

Lucy averted her eyes from Levy in guilt. "It was kind of hard to tell you about it. Master Makarov took him into the guild. He joined our class about a week ago."

The colour faded from Levy's face and she looked pale. She walked stiffly to her seat, and for a moment, her eyes met his. He was about to say something, what with his mouth opened slightly when he saw her, but he closed his mouth and looked outside the window again.

She sat down on her seat with a small bounce. "If you have something to say, then say it." She said, loud enough for him to hear it.

There was no reply. There was no sound from him at all. She gritted her teeth. "Oh, fine. I see you can't even apologize after what you've done." She said drily, her tone an obvious attempt at irritating him.

The whole class was silent. Lucy was afraid that Levy would be hurt once again by him. "Levy…" Lucy called out, her tone implying that she wanted Levy to stop what she was doing now before it got worse.

Levy looked ahead, staring at the blackboard before her. She bit her lower lip, placed her arms across her chest, and she felt tears threaten to spill out. But she held them back because she didn't want to look weak. Not in front of him.

Everything he did hurt her. Everything he did scared her.

But she could feel that deep down in her heart she could forgive that devil named Gajeel, and that upset her more than anything that has ever happened.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I'm pleased that those who are interested in this story are looking forward to more. Actually, I intended to end the chapter when she finds out Gajeel is in the class, but I decided to continue the chapter and the turnout is this chapter which I quite like, to be honest, because I liked to show Levy's forgiving side. And you must all have figured out that the guy sitting next to her is Gajeel, since I didn't explicitly say that it was him (until in the last line of the chapter).

Right, so this chapter title is still The Rock City Boy by Jamil, only that I added (My Perfect Dream) which reflects the future irony (because he's definitely _not_ her perfect dream) that Levy will face in her relationship with Gajeel.


	3. In The Sun

**3. In The Sun**

Levy grumbled as she ate her lunch in the park with Lucy, Erza, Mirajane and Bisca. This wasn't the back-to-school moment she had always waited for. She stuffed her last bite of sandwich in her mouth and munched it in irritation. To think Gajeel would be sitting next to her, let alone in the same class!

She had another half of her sandwich but she just wasn't hungry anymore. She asked the rest if they wanted it, but when none of them did, she wrapped it back in the plastic wrapping. She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Mirajane asked.

Levy gave a reassuring smile at her friends. "I need to think. I'll be at the rooftop." Respecting Levy's feelings, they let her leave. It would be hard to take that the person who harmed her is now her classmate. And she wasn't lying when she still felt afraid whenever she remembered everything that happened.

She walked up to the rooftop of the school, taking a deep breath and feeling the breeze. She placed her right hand on her left. _"All I have to do,"_ She recalled his words. _"Is to break it." _And she felt queasy. She held her left arm out in front of her and she realized how fragile her own body was, and how silly it was for her to pick a fight with him.

But she couldn't regret it, and she couldn't bear to show him now that she was still terrified.

She heard footsteps behind her, and she whipped her head around and saw the devil. She gasped, darting her eyes around only to realize that it was only them who were on the rooftop. She gulped. But she wouldn't be that weak, terrified girl he saw two weeks back.

"Relax," He said gruffly. "I'm leaving." He opened the door and walked through, leaving Levy alone on the rooftop. Gajeel couldn't help but feel extremely guilty when he saw Levy's shaking figure, knowing that he was the one who she feared, despite her tough act.

* * *

><p>"Levy, could you please bring the notebooks to the teachers' office?" The teacher asked her. Levy nodded. While she wasn't the sternest person, she was the class monitor of her class.<p>

Levy sighed when the bell rang once again, signifying the end of classes. Everyone ran out to go home or spend their time with their friends or their beloved, and whatever else people had in mind. Levy, on the other hand, was tired. She wanted to crawl into her bed and have a good nap, study for a while, and then read her favourite books.

Thinking about books, she grinned. She should go to the bookstore and get the newest book, whatever it was that fascinated her. As she was about to leave the classroom, she grabbed the pile of books that she needed to carry to the teachers' office. In her class, there were about a total of twenty students. That meant twenty thick notebooks to carry. "Heavy…" She mumbled to herself as she attempted to carry them all.

She felt a sharp pain on her left arm again, nearly making her drop all the books, if not for someone who darted his arm out to hold the books. "Thank…" She looked up to see Gajeel's face. "You."

He picked up the pile of books from her arms with ease. But Levy was stubborn enough to grab them back into her arms. "I'm fine!" She said.

Gajeel looked annoyed. He grabbed her left arm, earning a soft yelp from the pain she felt. He let go of her arm. "No." He said, grabbing the books into his arms and walking out of the classroom. Levy bit her lower lip and ran after him.

"Do you even know where the teachers' office is?" She said to his retreating back.

He froze. "…No." He said. He turned around to face her. "But I could ask around!" He said with an equally stubborn voice.

"Like anyone would answer a mean guy like you," She muttered to herself. "I'll show you the way. This is my responsibility anyway. Who knows what will happen to the books if I left them with you." She grabbed her school bag and walked beside him to the teachers' office, the whole journey a silent, nearly awkward, walk.

* * *

><p>"Gajeel?" Lucy yelled over the phone. Levy gave a small laugh on the other end of the phone. "I didn't know he had it in him to act nice."<p>

Levy gave a small 'Mm' in agreement. "Do you think, well, I'm not sure but do you think Gajeel's trying to fit in as much as he could?" She asked Lucy. She knew she was being a little soft, but he didn't look as scary as he was back when he was in Phantom Lord.

"Hm…" She heard Lucy say, "Maybe. Come to think of it, there were hardly any disturbances that involved Gajeel." By disturbances she meant the silly little fights that occur within Fairy Tail, and it usually involved Natsu and Gray and occasionally, students such as Elfman, Jet, Droy, Max, and Warren.

"And when I think about it, for the whole week since he's been here, he hasn't crossed anyone's minds in terms of danger or something of that sort. It's as if he's keeping himself low, and out of everyone's way. I know everyone was talking about him on the first day he appeared, but after that we sort of…forgot about him. Not that we completely forgot about him, but he just didn't cross our minds." Lucy explained.

Levy frowned in confusion and in concern. "Does he have any friends?" She asked.

There was a slight pause until Lucy said, "Not that I know of."

* * *

><p>If Levy could wash herself inside out and get rid of all the uncomfortable feelings she had, she would. First of all, why was she so willing to forgive Gajeel, who treated her like dirt and caused her to stay in the hospital for two weeks? Secondly, why was she s concerned about how his life in the school is? And thirdly, why is she so annoyed at herself for feeling all of this?<p>

True to Lucy's words, Levy noticed that Gajeel didn't really have any friends. He was with no one, save for Juvia, who was also once part of Phantom Lord but now that she is in Fairy Tail she followed Gray everywhere. Even then, Gajeel and Juvia hardly had long conversations.

"Levy," She perked up at a familiar voice. It was Natsu. "You keep looking at Gajeel."

She blushes a faint red. "Wh-What? No, I'm not." She said, laughing nervously.

Natsu looked at Gajeel. "Did he do something to you again? Just tell me, and I'll teach that guy a lesson again!" He said, lightly punching his right fist to his left palm with a grin.

Levy gave a small chuckle. "No, don't. He didn't do anything. Really, he didn't do anything at all." She said. When Natsu left Levy to have his attention on Lucy, she sighed. She was getting involved in complicated and annoying things. But she couldn't stop now that she is involved.

* * *

><p>Gajeel was walking back to his house when he spotted a familiar blue haired girl being disturbed by two guys near a bookstore. He stops, wondering if it was someone she knew.<p>

"Sorry, I'm not interested. Look for someone else." She said, ready to leave.

The guys block her path. "Come on, what's your name? We'll take you out to dinner, and you'll spend a night you'll never forget."

Levy glared at them. "I wouldn't want to be with you because I wouldn't want any memory of being with you." She spat, moving quickly away from them.

She could have run away from them, had one of them grabbed her arm. Her left arm. She winced. "Let me go!" She said angrily.

It was then that Gajeel knew she wasn't on friendly terms with any of those guys. He walked towards them. "She clearly does not want to be with any of you." He said, catching the attention of Levy and the two guys.

"G-Gajeel." Levy said, surprised by his presence. _Why is he here? Don't tell me, he followed me?_ She thought in despair. _No, no, Levy. Don't jump to conclusions. He must have just been around town._ She stared at the gruff man as he came closer.

The two guys were not intimidated. "Huh? Who are you to butt into our conversation?" One of them asked angrily.

Gajeel grabbed the arm of the guy who held Levy's arm. "She said, let go." He growled menacingly. This time, his voice must have scared them, since the guy let go of Levy's arm and decided to stay out of trouble, and walked away grumbling with his friend.

"Thanks," Levy said, looking at the ground while she rubbed her arm. _This seems like something out of a cheesy romance novel though_, she thought.

"You always need to saved though, huh, shorty?" He said, not realizing that he had said something that irked her.

She gritted her teeth. "No, I don't! That was the first time it happened to me! I've never been approached by guys like that…" She sighed. "Although I wish I was approached by guys better than them." She said, feeling a little down by it. Unwilling to show her low self-esteem any longer, she changed the subject. "S-So, what are you doing here?" She asked.

He looked down at her, his eyebrow raised in a quizzical way. "I was just walking back home. So…later." He walks away from her once again.

Levy felt a little annoyed and disappointed. She almost felt sorry for him because he was always alone, but it seems as though he willingly puts himself in that position by that attitude of his! "I shouldn't even have thought of repaying him for what he's done just now." She stuck her tongue out at his retreating back and went inside the bookstore to get a book.

* * *

><p>The next day, when Levy was about to head to the cafeteria to buy her lunch, she was called out by Jet. "What's wrong, Jet?" She asked curiously, although it hasn't been the first time that she's been called out by Jet and Droy, often just so the three of them could hang out together. But usually Jet <strong>and<strong> Droy would call her out. This time it was only Jet.

Jet brought her to a secluded area in the school, where she saw Droy and…Gajeel. "W-Wait, what is the meaning of this?" She asked, feeling uneasy. They can't possibly be picking a fight with Gajeel, could they? "Guys, don't do something dangerous." She said.

"Levy's here. So apologize to her, Gajeel." Droy demanded, looking at Gajeel straight in the eye.

Levy looked at Gajeel. He averted his eyes, with no sign of him willing to apologize to her. She heard a 'tch' from Jet. "You're really an asshole." He said. Levy bit her lower lip, getting angry at Gajeel once again. Jet was right, he is an asshole. After all the pain he put her through, and the humiliation she had to face being beaten up by him, couldn't he even have the heart to apologize for what he's done?

"Enough, guys." She said, her voice venomous. Jet and Droy turned to look at her, and for the first time they felt as though Levy was not herself. "You really, really don't intend to redeem yourself, do you?" She asked Gajeel softly, but the soft tone of voice held her deep anger. It actually frightened Jet and Droy, who have never seen her as upset as she is now. Her fists were clenched, and her knuckles were pale. "You really are a devil, Gajeel Redfox." With that, she turned and walked away. Jet and Droy followed her in attempts to calm her down.

They left a guilty Gajeel who, in turn, clenched his own fists. "You've got it all wrong." He said to no one, although he wished he could have said it to Levy. "Saying 'sorry' isn't going to cut it." He punched the wall of the school building hard.

* * *

><p>"L-Levy," A boy with spiky blonde hair said shyly. "I…was wondering if you would go out with me this Saturday?" He asked the blue haired girl.<p>

They were standing in a secluded area in the school park, but there were clearly nosy people such as Jet and Droy who were eavesdropping. There was, coincidentally, a curious eavesdropper with jet black hair and studs around his face.

Levy McGarden looked to the ground with equal shyness. She had similar confessions like these, but she started to think that there was nothing to lose if she did start going out with guys and getting to know more people. Besides, anyone had to be better than…Gajeel.

"Sure, Saturday it is." She said with a beaming smile, crushing the hearts to Jet and Droy, turning the meek blonde haired boy into an elated and proud man, and intensifying the jet black haired guy's curiosity further. "Let's meet at the fountains?" She asked.

While Gajeel didn't pop out and announce his presence after the blonde haired boy (who is also known as Andy) left, Jet and Droy sure did. They jumped out in tears in front of a surprised Levy. "Levy!" They cried, while Levy scolded them for eavesdropping.

After a few seconds, Levy swore she heard a familiar "Gihi", but when she asked Jet and Droy, they said they hadn't heard a thing.

And so Levy dismissed the ominous snicker and looked forward to her date.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

**Please tell me you read the latest chapter of Fairy Tail. Also, by read, I mean the first page where Jet is shown and "Levy likes Gajeel" is written. No words. I am fangirling. You'll even see the latest post I had on my tumblr about it (link is on my profile page) and I just. I just. Okay. I'll calm down now.**

So anyway, the song is In The Sun by She & Him. Lovely song, in my opinion. I'm not entirely sure why I chose this song but I might have chosen it because they're not telling each other the reasons for their actions, and hardly any deeper conversations has happened between them thus far, so I thought the song kind of reflects that. hope you have enjoyed it. Please submit a review, I appreciate it so much!


	4. Shooby Doo Bop, Best Friend

**4. Shooby Doo Bop (Best Friend)**

Levy looked at herself in the mirror. This was actually a bold move for her. She would never have agreed to go on a date before the whole incident with Gajeel and Phantom Lord. Maybe standing up to Gajeel spurred her to be bolder. That was certainly not a bad thing. Although Lucy and Mirajane were surprised, they encouraged her.

She did a small twirl in her little black dress, satisfied with the way she looked. She tied a black headband around her head, and added a light amount of makeup on herself. She looked at the clock. It was nearly seven o'clock in the evening, so she slipped into a pair of black heels and grabbed her sling bag. "Alright!" She said with determination, her heart pounding lightly.

Yet while she walked to the meeting venue, she had to think about whether she should act herself or be a little different. Then again, being natural is the best thing to do, right? If he doesn't like her, then he just made a loss. But since it is their first date, she should make an effort to be better than she usually is. _How do I act?_ She thought to herself.

* * *

><p>"How do I react to this?" She asked the three guys who stood before her with intimidation, one of them being Andy. It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid. But it wouldn't be any better if she showed it. Once again, Levy put up a tough demeanor, intending to show her opponents that she won't be pushed down that easily.<p>

"This is Phantom Lord's revenge." Andy said, his good boy act now an irritating, cocky smirk.

Levy sighed. "Why is it always me?" She whined.

One of the guys laughed. "Because you look so easy to crush. Fairy Tail's precious, sweet little…what's her name again?" He asked Andy, who told him her name. "Levy, being brutally beaten once again. And maybe we'll have another form of fun as well."

Levy's breath caught in her throat. She turned to run, but her arms were caught by Andy, while the other two were getting closer to her. At the right timing, she swung her legs upwards and kicked both their chins, making them groan in pain and stumble backwards.

She tried stomping down on Andy's feet, but he shifted away before she could. _This is bad, _she thought, nearly about to cry.

"Gihi," The four heard as they whipped their heads to where the sound came from.

On top a tree sat a guy with jet black long hair, studs on his face, his red eyes piercing through them from the darkness and his devilish smirk all too familiar to the four who looked. "Long time no see." He said as he jumped down and walked towards them.

The three boys smiled. "Gajeel!" One of them said happily, while Andy held Levy up as though she was an object on display, and urging Gajeel to do whatever he wanted to her.

Gajeel grinned widely. Levy froze in despair. _Is he really going to do this to me? _She thought in fear. She thought he changed. He never did anything to her while they were alone. He saved her that afternoon near the bookstore. Was she mistaken?

She struggled to loosen Andy's grip. "Let go!" She yelled. She looked at Gajeel, who was approaching her. "Gajeel, please. Please don't do this."

The other three guys smirked and chuckled. How sick can these people get? She shut her eyes, afraid of what would happen. Maybe she'll be scarred for life. Maybe after the whole humiliating ordeal, she should beg them to kill her instead. They wouldn't have any problems with it, being this disturbing and idiotic.

And then she heard a smack and a groan, and her arms were free. She opened her eyes, staring at Gajeel's chest. He was so close to her. She turned around and saw Andy on the ground, rubbing his cheek in pain, and Gajeel's fist was held up. Gajeel had punched Andy's face.

Levy looked up at Gajeel's face, and she had never seen him so terrifying before. He didn't even look like this when he was in Phantom Lord that day. She gulped. He turned to face the other two, who squeaked and froze in their spots.

Before she knew it, Gajeel had grabbed her hand a little roughly and they walked away, leaving the three former Phantom Lord students to scurry away.

"You're really stupid," She heard Gajeel say as they neared a lake, and he let go of her hand. Not to mention, her feet were starting to hurt from all the running. She wondered how she didn't trip even once while she wore the heels.

She had been terrified, and that's all he could say? She clenched her fist and punched him the face when he didn't expect it. Shocked, he stared at her. And he realized that she was shaking, sobbing silently in front of him.

"Then…" She sobbed. "You shouldn't have saved a stupid person." She wiped her tears away furiously, even though she didn't mean what she said. "After all, only a stupid person gets asked out by guys like them," She added. _And gets beaten up by people like Gajeel_, she thought to herself. "Why are you here anyway? Don't tell me it's just coincidence."

Gajeel was flustered. He didn't know how to deal with crying girls. He wasn't one to console them and he sure as hell won't learn how to console a little crying blue haired girl. "…E-Enough crying, I get it." He said, trying to sound as gentle as he could. "It's obvious. I know Andy. He was in Phantom Lord, and I know that from Phantom Lord only Juvia and I joined Fairy Tail."

She looked up at him, her eyes piercing his own. For the first time, Gajeel felt a little scared. What is she going to do, he wondered. "You're stupid!" She yelled, poking her finger into his chest. "You said before that if you're a devil, then I'm one too! So if I'm stupid, you are one too!" She looked triumphant.

Gajeel stared at her in shock. "That's what you come up with?" He broke into fits of laughter.

Levy blushed in embarrassment. It wasn't such a smart thing to say and she knew that, but she didn't know what else to say. "Stupid." She repeated sulkily.

For the first time, Gajeel thought a girl is cute, and as he looked down at the little sulking blue haired girl he couldn't help but think that he should never have laid a finger on her and caused any sort of harm on her. But he did, and he was guilty of it.

"Gajeel." He heard her say his name, to which he snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. "Take me home." She said a little softly and a little shyly.

"Huh? Why do I need to—"

"I'll be honest, I was scared. And I still am." She interrupted, her eyes staring at her feet.

To think Levy would really act like a little girl. A little, helpless girl. A little, helpless...cute girl. He scratched his head a little too roughly and sighed. "Fine, fine."

She smiles up at him, a bright beaming smile that he swore he literally squinted his eyes from the brightness of it for a second. "That's the way. As a friend, you could do at least that much." She said as she started to walk.

Gajeel looked at her small back. "Friend." He repeated, stopping Levy and creating an air of silence between the two.

"Y-Yes. A friend would at least think of doing that." She said after a moment, although he couldn't see her expression. It was a slip of the tongue, he could tell at least that much. But were the emotions behind it entirely a lie?

He looked at her taking off her heels. "Why are you doing that?" He asked.

"My feet are hurting after running in these. Walking barefoot feels much better than wearing these." She answered, walking ahead of him while he trailed behind, their distance a safe yet close one.

After another short moment of silence, Levy decided to ask Gajeel something. "Have you made any friends since you entered Fairy Tail?" She asked.

He looked indifferent. "No." There was a slight pause. "Except you, I guess."

She stopped walking but did not turn around. Although Gajeel didn't see it, she was blushing a light red. "Then why did you enter Fairy Tail?" She asked. Gajeel stopped by then too, looking at her back.

"I want to change." He answered. She turned around slowly to look at him. Although he still had the same gruff demeanor, his voice sounded a lot more…gentle. "And I want to apologize. To you."

Levy turned to face him, blinking in surprise. "Then you could have just apologized that time when Jet and Droy—"

"Just saying it ain't going to cut it." He interrupted, and Levy actually saw his guilt.

She smiled widely, turning around and walking once again. "Hey, you're not such a bad guy after all." She said.

Gajeel smiled as he followed her from behind.

* * *

><p>"Natsu!" Lucy yelled at the said guy, who was in a friendly with Gray once again. "Gray! Stop it!"<p>

Levy chuckled lightly, unbothered by their usual antics.

"Gajeel! You think you're all that, just because you were in Phantom Lord!" Levy heard Natsu say, and she stared at Gajeel.

"Huh?" He looked at Natsu in irritation. "You askin' for a fight?"

Natsu bumped his fist to his palm. "Hell yeah. I'll beat you and make you cry."

And Natsu and Gajeel broke out into a friendly fight, and eventually Gray and Elfman joined in, their figures rolling and crashing each other while the onlookers cheered, sighed, or chuckled and moved on. Levy was one of the latter, who grabbed Lucy and pulled her to class, at the same time yelling to them that they would be late if they kept it up. There was something Levy liked about it though – Gajeel was starting to fit in with the group.

Eventually, Erza came and beat the crap out of all of them and kicked them to class.

* * *

><p>"Right, class. Here we go," The teacher placed a pile of papers on the table. "Surprise! You're having a test today!" The teacher said, except he sounded really monotonous.<p>

Shrieks and gasps of shock echoed in the class. "No!" Natsu and Gray said in despair and in unison, looking up to the heavens with their hands raised in a pleading fashion. "Why?" They said, once again in despair and in unison.

"Oh, shut up. It's your fault for fooling around all the time." Lucy said.

Natsu snickered. "You're saying all that but the truth is **you're** in the same boat as us." He grinned cheekily.

"But I was doing productive things unlike you!" She blushed.

Levy giggled. She looked to her right, where Gajeel was sitting. He didn't seem to be paying attention to anything, and he merely looked out of the window. "Gajeel, did you hear what the teacher said? We're having a surprise test. Can you believe it? Ugh, I am not prepared for this." She said. Lucy scoffed softly, saying that Levy was lying since she always had good grades.

"Huh?" He looked at her. "Oh, yeah." He replied, looking out of the window again. Levy pouted. He was pretty friendly last night when he saved her, so why was he so distant now?

The teacher showed no remorse, giving them a test paper that had them struggling. A week later, they received their results. Lucy looked at her paper, getting a fifty out of a hundred. "I barely passed." She grumbled.

Natsu and Gray had died once they received their papers. Both failed, and they were warned to study unless they intended to fail their final exams. Erza and Mirajane received a ninety-eight out of a hundred, and they both challenged each other in their final exams.

Levy received an eighty-nine, and she clenched her fist in frustration. "So close to a ninety!" She whined. She got a light slap from Lucy, who said that she would have loved to have those grades.

Natsu and Gray peered into Gajeel's paper, and they patted his back silently. Levy walked towards Gajeel, and looked at him curiously. Knowing her eyes on him in curiosity, he passed his paper to her. She stared. He got a twenty out of a hundred.

"Oh, Levy, great timing," The teacher came up to her. "Why don't you tutor Gajeel? Saves me a lot, since I have to take care of the other two idiots." He pointed to Natsu and Gray, who had crumpled their test papers and stuffed them in their bags, laughing about how grades aren't everything.

"Uh," Levy looked at a smirking Gajeel. "Why is it always me?"

The teacher started walking away before she could say anything else, mumbling about how she was the main character of the story and if the drama didn't happen to her, there wouldn't be much of a point.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I think this wasn't such a great chapter, but I still enjoyed writing it. I know I update my chapters quite quickly and perhaps I should slow down a little. Frankly, I am so free since I'm having a three month break until my second year of university starts, and I can't help but write a new chapter right after I finish one. I only posted this chapter a little later than usual because I have been busy for the past few days (because it was my birthday, to be honest, haha).

The title is named after the song that Gajeel sings in episode 48 (or 49? I don't remember) which he actually named 'Best Friend', but I think everyone is familiar with Shooby Doo Bop. Why I chose this song, I'm not entirely sure again. I just imagined this silly song playing in the background at certain parts of the story (namely the part where Levy and Gajeel walk after he saves her from Andy and Phantom Lord).

**Many, many thanks to those who read this story, and I hope I will not create huge disappointments till the very end! **


	5. Think Good Thoughts

**5. Think Good Thoughts**

"I feel comfortable in my house, so we're having it in my house." Levy said as she was discussing her tutoring session with Gajeel. She wasn't able to get out of it due to it being an 'order' from her teacher. Levy even asked people such as Erza and Mirajane to take her place instead, but Erza declined saying she didn't have the patience to teach, and Mirajane was too busy with her waitress job to tutor someone.

"Whatever," Gajeel said since he wasn't even bothered about getting good grades. "So are we doing it today?" He asked.

Levy grumbled inwardly at his indifference. "Yes, we are. And you better make an effort!" She warned.

They walked to the girls' dormitory, Gajeel given permission to enter on request. Levy rummaged in her pocket and opened the door with her house key, opening it slowly. She looked inside and paled, immediately closing the door. "Um, on second thought, we should have it in your house!" She said, laughing nervously.

"Huh?" He asked, slightly irritated. They had come all the way to her house only to leave before entering? "What are you hiding?" He pushed her aside with ease, much to her protest. He opened the door, looking inside and grimacing.

Her whole house was a mess. Books and papers were everywhere and piled up. There was no space to even walk around. Studying here would be impossible. He closed the door. He turned and walked back to the entrance of the dormitory, with an embarrassed Levy walking after him.

* * *

><p>Levy couldn't believe she had completely forgotten the state of her room. Not that she disliked it, of course. Having all those books around her really did comfort her and that was the sort of person she was. She loves books and she wouldn't stop having them.<p>

But as she followed Gajeel from behind and watched his large back, she couldn't help but flame up in embarrassment from her lack of tidiness. And then she pouted. _Well, why do I have to care what that guy thinks of me?_ She thought.

Gajeel kept walking, passing by a few shops until he realized from the reflections of the windows of the various shops that Levy wasn't following him anymore. He turned around to see her peering into a bakery. He sighed, walking towards her. "You should at least tell me to stop, shorty." He said.

She smiled gleefully while she was looking inside. "Let's get cakes." She said, going inside the bakery before he could even say anything. He followed her in, although he merely stood as she chose two slices of cakes. She was about to pay when he stepped in.

"I'll pay." He said, taking out his wallet and handing the exact amount of money to the cashier. She looked up at him in surprise. He passed her the plastic bag which had the box of cakes and averted his eyes from hers. "It's because you're taking your time to tutor me." He explained.

Levy grinned and giggled as they left the bakery together. Unknown to the two, Lucy and Natsu saw them walk out of the bakery together. Lucy had a death grip on Natsu.

Lucy gasped. "Levy and Gajeel are going out? Why didn't she tell me?" Lucy whispered to Natsu.

"I…think I'm going to die." He said in pain, feeling his life force leaving him with her death grip.

* * *

><p>Unexpectedly, Gajeel's house was really…neat. "Wow." Levy said, seeing that everything looked like a proper house. They did say not to judge a book by its cover, but she really didn't expect Gajeel to be so tidy.<p>

"Try being this neat once in a while." He said nonchalantly, earning a light slap on his arm by Levy who stomped off into his kitchen to find plates for the cakes. He followed her, shrugging off the fact that she walked into his house as if she had lived here her whole life.

She placed the box of cakes on the counter and looked for some plates. When she did find the plates, she took two and placed the two different slices of cakes on each plate. She then went to look for a pot and two mugs for tea. "Do you have tea?" She asked sweetly.

Gajeel felt strange. He nearly shuddered, feeling uncomfortable. It was as though they weren't here for the tutoring session, but just for… a date. And he didn't feel that close to her to even think that they could be going on a date. He pulled out a drawer where he had his tea and coffee.

He walked out of the kitchen and left her to do whatever she wanted.

* * *

><p>"Okay!" Levy placed the two pieces of cake and tea in front of them. "Which one would you like, the blueberry cake or the chocolate?" She asked Gajeel.<p>

He stared at her as if she was mad. "I thought you were eating both."

Levy did not look amused. "Do you think I have the capacity to eat them both?" She asked rhetorically, since the answer was obviously negative.

"Yeah." He answered, earning a groan of helplessness from Levy.

"Ugh, okay. I've originally chose this chocolate cake for you." She pushed the plate towards him gently. Gajeel stared at the chocolate cake. It didn't cross his mind that she would ever be thinking about him.

And even though Levy looked perfectly in bliss eating her cake while he ate his, he felt it being terribly strange that they were both eating cake and having tea.

In his house.

But what was even stranger was that he liked seeing her having some sort of fun in his presence.

* * *

><p>"No, that's wrong. You do this," Levy wrote a few things. "And that would make it easier to solve the question." Levy said.<p>

Gajeel gritted his teeth in irritation. It had been around an hour since they started and he still couldn't get one question correct. He refused to be treated like an idiot. He continued, only to be stopped by Levy again. "That's not how you do it. Here, I'll finish this one and let's move on to the second question." She wrote a few things and showed him. "Do you understand?" She asked as he read through the things she wrote.

"Maybe." He said.

"If you don't understand, then tell me. Saying 'maybe' isn't helping." She said, placing her arms across her chest.

He gritted his teeth behind closed lips. Levy smiled at him encouragingly. "Don't worry, Gajeel. Tell me what you don't understand, and I'll—"

He stood up. "Stop treating me like I'm an idiot!" He said in irritation, slamming the paper down on the table. Levy looked at him in surprise, wondering what his problem was. "I'm leaving." He walked out of the house.

Levy sat in her seat uncomfortably, wondering what she did made him so angry. Maybe she shouldn't have sounded so nice…? She asked herself.

But she was only trying to be supportive.

* * *

><p>Gajeel was clearly disturbed. He had no idea why he shouted at Levy, and she must have been scared by him once again. Having bonds such as friendships were not meant for him. They were too fragile, and he was too rough for them. And that little girl is too fragile for him as well.<p>

"Gajeel." He heard a female voice call his name and he saw the big boobed rich girl and the fiery idiot with her.

He was about to walk past them without a word when Lucy asked, "Where's Levy? I thought she was with you."

He waved his hand dismissively as he started to walk away. "Hey. Levy's been the kindest person out of everyone in Fairy Tail to you. You could at least tell me where she is." Lucy said in a warning tone.

Gajeel knew Lucy was telling the truth. No one acted kinder than her when it came to him. Perhaps everyone started to accept him more because she showed that he isn't such a scary guy. "I left her in my house. She could be gone now."

"What happened?" Natsu asked. While Natsu wasn't that worried about Levy and Gajeel as much as he used to be, he still had concerns.

The iron hearted young man wanted to leave from their sight. He didn't want to deal with anyone. He didn't want to tell anyone what had happened. When he thought about what had just happened, he felt idiotic, and immature. But he still didn't know why exactly he had lost his temper on her.

The other problem is that it didn't seem like Lucy and Natsu were going to let him off without him telling what happened prior to their meeting.

* * *

><p>Lucy stifled her laughter when Gajeel ended his story. Natsu looked at Lucy questioningly as she looked at Natsu without amusement. "I can't believe the both of you can't figure out why this happened." She shook her head.<p>

"What?" Natsu asked. "Just tell us!"

"Gajeel," Lucy started, with him looking genuinely interested. "You're upset that you need tutoring – that's one thing – but maybe you're also upset of the fact that in Levy's eyes, you're not smart enough…which is silly, to be honest, because Levy doesn't judge a person and treats a person any differently just because they're not as smart as her."

Gajeel thought for a moment and it started to make sense.

"Besides, when Levy helps someone, she sounds incredibly nice. She's a supportive person, you have to know that." Lucy explained. "Like when I showed her my stor—um, never mind about that." Lucy laughed nervously.

Natsu looked awed at Lucy's response and grinned. "You're surprisingly smarter than you look, huh, Lucy?"

He earned a punch straight to his face from her.

* * *

><p>Gajeel walked back to his house, wondering if Levy was still there. He wasn't sure how long he was away for, but he wouldn't be surprised if she had gone home. After all, his behaviour was uncalled for, and even he knew that. He opened the door of his house and stepped in, looking around for the familiar blue haired girl.<p>

To his surprise, she was still here, but she was asleep. On his couch. And he felt guiltier than he already was before for having her wait for him and put up with his silly temper.

But then again, since when was he such a caring, weak guy?

He woke up her a little too roughly by accident. She sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily. "You're back." She said, yawning. She made herself wide awake in just a second, standing up and giving a string of apologies for her previous behaviour. "I thought of doing everything I could to help but I made you angry instead and I'm so sorry about that." She said.

Gajeel was irritated once again, but did his best to hide it. Why, of all people, should she be apologizing? After all he's done from when he was in Phantom Lord, he hasn't properly apologized and here she was, apologizing as if it was the last day of her life.

"No. Shut up." He said, instantly silencing her. She must have thought he was angry again. "It's not your fault."

She visibly relaxed. "R-Really?" She asked hesitantly, and he nodded. "S-So, I hadn't done anything wrong at all earlier?"

"No," He said. "Shut up." He said, slipping out of his mouth by accident and he gave himself a mental slap.

At least he tries to be nice.

"Well, that's a relief." She said, and he could clearly see that she was relieved. To think that she was really concerned about this situation when it was **his** fault, as it always was. "Then, shall we continue with the tutoring?" She asked when his doorbell rang.

He walked to the door and opened it, freezing instantly in his spot. Levy peered to his side from behind him, wondering who it was, when she saw a navy blue haired little girl with a small suitcase smiling up at him.

"I thought you were coming tomorrow!" He said, surprising Levy and the little girl.

The little girl looked down apologetically. "I-I know, but I had to come a day earlier." She squeaked.

Seeing as the situation was going nowhere with them standing in this position, Levy stepped in. "Well, why don't we all come inside and sort things out? Gajeel, you're scaring her." She chided, bringing the little girl inside his house, much to his displeasure. "What's your name?" She asked cheerfully.

The little girl warmed up to Levy immediately. "My name is Wendy!" She said. "I'm Gajeel's cousin."

Levy had already begun to become fond of Wendy, since she was a well-mannered and adorable girl. She was the complete opposite of Gajeel. To think they were related.

Once they were seated and Levy had poured tea for each of them, Gajeel explained his situation to Levy. In actuality, Wendy was explaining everything while Gajeel made sounds of agreements at certain moments. Wendy's parents had recently divorced but they were both terribly busy with their jobs to take good care of her, and Gajeel (who is orphaned – Levy had only found out now) was forced to be her temporary guardian until things became better.

"Hm, I see." Levy said. She had to hand it to Wendy, though, for being quite composed after her parents' divorce. "But there's a rule that no girls are allowed to stay in a boy's house in the dormitory." Levy said. Wendy's expression faltered, and seeing her troubled look, Levy couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "You can stay with me!" She offered cheerfully.

Gajeel scoffed. "In your messy place?"

Levy blushed in embarrassment. She wasn't over the fact that he had seen her messy house. Wendy chided Gajeel. "That's not a nice thing to say," The little girl beamed a smile at Levy. "I'm so grateful for the offer, Miss Levy! If it's alright…may I stay at your house?" She asked timidly.

Levy clasped her hands together at Wendy's politeness. "Of course you can! And just call me Levy!" She stood up, taking all the empty mugs and the teapot. "We'll go back to my house once I'm done washing these." She walked to the sink.

Gajeel followed her. Much to Wendy's surprise, she heard Gajeel say, "Leave them", only for Levy to refuse, saying she could do at least this much since she was at his house.

Wendy stood at the kitchen entrance. "Are the two of you dating?" She asked innocently.

"What?" They asked the girl incredulously in unison.

Levy laughed halfheartedly, but a blush was evident. "N-No, we're not. We're just friends."

Gajeel grabbed Levy's arm and bag, dragging her towards the door as well as Wendy's hand and suitcase, opening the door of his house and pushing them out. "Go home." He closed the door behind them.

Wendy giggled. "I think he's shy." She commented, making Levy laugh.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Chapter title is Think Good Thoughts by Colbie Caillat.

Yes, I introduced Wendy! I find her adorable, so I couldn't have her not make an appearance in the story. The bad thing about this chapter is that they were probably very out of character, but I really wanted to write this scene! Oh well. Reviews, please? Criticize it all you want, I don't mind. I've got to take punches to become stronger. _Gihi_.

On another note, I have written a special Christmas one-shot, and I think it's absolutely cute and fluffy so I hope everyone looks forward to that! I'll be posting it on Christmas eve or on Christmas day itself (GMT+8, by the way, because that is my timezone). Look forward to it!

Thank you for reading!


	6. Milk Tea

**6. Milk Tea**

Just before she entered class, she heard Gajeel's voice call her. She turned around and looked at him, his expression a little distressed. "Don't tell anyone about her." He said.

"Her?" Levy asked. "Oh, you mean Wendy?" She looked at him quizzically. "Why?"

Gajeel knew she would ask for a reason and he dreaded it, but there was no helping it. "Because…it's annoying dealing with nosy people. This is our secret." And he walked away, possibly to the vending machine to get a drink.

Levy tried to hide back a smile. Hearing him say that was a little silly but it made her happy. She shared something important with him and it was 'their' secret. She grinned as she opened the door and walked into the class, only for a large object to smack her on her face. The class fell silent and a fearful gasp was heard. Although the brunt of the damage was on her small nose, she felt the throbbing pain.

Natsu dropped the book he was holding and panicked. "Shit." He muttered. "Levy, sorry. I thought it was Gray and usually he'd have the reflex to avoid this kind of attack but I had no idea it was you behind the door instead. Oh crap."

Lucy rushed to Levy's side, glaring at Natsu. "I told you to keep your pranks to a minimum, Natsu! Now see what you've done!" She scolded him. "Levy, let's go to the infirmary."

Levy stared at the floor, her hand placed on her nose. She was holding back her tears, and she was worried that if she made any sound she would start crying. Letting Lucy bring her to the infirmary, they walked out of the classroom. "Are you okay, Levy?" Lucy asked, and that was when she made a choked sobbing sound.

Gajeel came back to class around that time, and seeing Levy in a vulnerable state alerted him. He walked into class and noticed Elfman, Max, and Warren consoling Natsu, who looked devastated. Gajeel walked towards Natsu. "What happened?"

The boys looked at Gajeel, and his expression was frightening. In fear, they explained the incident. And then Gajeel told Natsu something very interesting, making the salmon haired boy lose his soul.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Lucy," Levy giggled. "I'm not angry at Natsu, really. It was an accident. It just hurts, that's all." She said, but Lucy didn't seem as forgiving.<p>

"I warned him so many times!" The blonde haired girl said angrily. "Sometimes he pisses me off so much!" She paced around the infirmary.

Levy massaged her nose. "Lucy," She beamed a smile. "You like him." She teased.

Lucy froze, blushing a deep red, averting her eyes. It was obvious. But Levy felt as though Lucy was hiding something. "You can tell me anything, Lucy!" She said encouragingly. "If anything is bothering you and you need to talk about it, please tell me." Levy felt a little envious of Lucy. She was pretty, and she had a talent at writing. Levy couldn't compare herself to her, but Lucy is one of her closest friends and she couldn't bear having a wall between them.

Lucy smiled. "We should catch up later. And," Lucy looked at Levy suspiciously. "I've got questions about you and Gajeel." She said.

Levy blushed. "What? We're not dating!" She said defensively.

Lucy laughed. "What makes you think I was going to ask about your relationship with him?" She teased, earning a light slap from Levy, who started laughing as well. They headed back to class, even though a red mark was left on her nose.

* * *

><p>When they came back to class, Natsu was soulless, and there was pin drop silence. It was strange, and a little unnerving. Levy and Lucy looked at everyone quizzically. "What happened?" Levy asked the class.<p>

"Nothing at all." Warren said. "We just got a little…disturbed."

"Disturbed…?" Lucy said, and the two girls looked around the classroom. Sure enough, they did look somehow disturbed. Levy looked at Gajeel. He was the only person who seemed fine. _Did he do something?_ She thought, about to ask him but class was about to start.

* * *

><p>It was interesting, needless to say, that Lucy was giving Natsu the cold shoulder. And Natsu seemed to be taking the attitude quite hard, since he was begging Levy to talk to Lucy and tell her he was sorry about everything that had happened. Levy found it strange as well to see that Lucy was reacting so harshly towards Natsu. After all, Levy had already forgiven Natsu and it wasn't such a big thing to be so angry about. So she agreed to talk to Lucy.<p>

Levy and Lucy were having snacks at a local café, and Levy brought up the conversation about Natsu, only to be diverted to Lucy's story writing. "I'm almost done with my third chapter! And I was thinking, maybe the main character should—"

"Lucy, you're changing the subject." Levy said, looking concerned.

Lucy sighed. "I don't like talking about him." She mumbled, loud enough for Levy to hear.

"But you like him, don't you?" The blue haired girl asked. "I think that's nice. I wish I could have a crush, at least."

Lucy snickered. "Oh, but don't you? You seem to be attached to Gajeel." She teased.

Levy blushed. "Lucy, not that again! We're just friends, really!" She said, shaking her head. "How could I have a crush on him, after all that's happened…" She said, the last few words softer than normal.

Lucy placed her chin on the palm of her hand and gave a small smile. "Levy, we both know you've forgiven Gajeel a long time ago. Think about it. No one approached him when he joined Fairy Tail, but you did. No one would think of tutoring him but you. And he saved you a number of times, from what you've told me." She said.

Levy blushed. Lucy was right. She, the most damaged person by his hands, became the friendliest person to him. It was strange, now that she thought about it, but it wasn't surprising. She could see how he really tried to fit in with everyone, and she couldn't help but warm up to him. He even saved her so many times that he must have protected her better than anyone she knew.

Wait. The conversation isn't supposed to be about her.

"Lucy!" She chided, earning a small giggle from the blonde haired girl. "Well, what about you? Is there something between you and Natsu?" She asked.

"…No. We're just friends." Lucy said disappointedly. "It's a pain to like someone, only for him to never notice you." She said, staring at her cup of tea. "He doesn't see me the way I see him. And…" She sighs, "He must really like Lisanna."

_Right_, Levy thought. There were rumours that Natsu and Lisanna were closer than friends. They are childhood friends, everyone knew that. But ever since Lisanna came back from an overseas study program, rumours were flying around about how Natsu and Lisanna must have started dating from way before. Levy couldn't blame Lucy for having thoughts about Natsu and Lisanna.

"But Natsu feels really bad for everything that happened. I'm guessing some other things have happened between you and him, but I won't ask if you don't want to tell me." Levy said. She clasped Lucy's hands in her own. "Lucy, I'm here for you! Don't forget that! So I think you should patch things up with him." She said when she felt a shadow over her.

Or a few shadows. Levy and Lucy looked up at the faces of Gajeel, Wendy, and Natsu. Natsu, especially, was looking shocked. "Lucy, Levy…I didn't think you had an attraction for each other, but I'll…I'll support you!" Natsu said, although he sounded a little disappointed.

"Na-Na-Natsu!" Lucy stood up, her eyes nearly tearing up, had it not been for her holding them back. But everyone there including Natsu noticed that Lucy was about to cry. "You're a real idiot." She said softly, running away.

"Ah, Lucy!" Levy was about to run after her when Natsu dashed off quickly. Levy stopped. Maybe it was better leaving them alone to talk things out.

Levy sat back on her seat, and turned to look at an uninterested Gajeel and a concerned Wendy. "Hi Wendy!" She said, ignoring Gajeel. "Do you want to have something? It's my treat." She opened the menu book and handed it to Wendy. "Sit down."

Gajeel scowled, taking a seat across Levy while Wendy sat next to her. Wendy became preoccupied with the menu while Levy asked what they were doing. It turned out that Wendy, Gajeel, and Natsu were related, although Natsu was a distant relative. "Wow, that's unexpected." Levy said. Wendy ordered a peach parfait while Gajeel ordered tea.

"So, you're going to wait until they come back?" Gajeel asked.

Levy giggled. "If they do return. Regardless, I'll just…stay here for a while." She said, taking a sip of her tea. Frankly, she wanted to think about everything she talked about with Lucy. She looked at Gajeel, who was looking elsewhere without much of an interest. _No, it's too early to jump to conclusions, Levy!_ She thought. They were just friends. He was the one who hurt her! He was the one who inflicted pain and fear in her, and some of the scars weren't gone!

But he was the one who saved her, tried his best to make things better, and made her think twice about her opinions on him.

"What are you looking at?" She heard him ask, snapping her out of her thoughts and creating a blush on her face.

"Nothing." She looked at Wendy, who started on her peach parfait. Levy stole a spoonful of cream, earning a giggle from both the girls.

Gajeel frowned, although it was just a cover up from his real feelings, because ever since he started noticing Levy's smile, he thought she really is cute.

* * *

><p>Levy gasped as she felt Gajeel's face leaning closer and closer towards her. <em>What is this situation I'm in now?<em> She screamed – or squealed – in her mind. His face was dangerously yet enticingly close, and it was just a matter of time until their lips will touch and send her into an abyss of emotions. And then she closed her eyes and waited for the moment to come when—

"Shrimp!" She heard him say, opening her eyes with a soft gasp.

"Huh?" She noticed that she was sitting on a bench in the park, and the sun was setting. _Oh God it was a dream_, she thought with disappointment, embarrassment and confusion mixed together in her heart.

"I should have left you here." She heard Gajeel say sarcastically, when she realized she was leaning on him, her head resting on his muscular arm. She blushed and sat upright, much to his amusement. But how did they come here from the café?

Oh, right. Levy received a message from Lucy that they patched things up again (and apparently there was some sort of good news which Levy was guessing that the two are dating as of now), and a few minutes later Natsu and Lucy appeared and Wendy followed them for some sightseeing.

It was an odd moment. Deciding that it was time to leave the café, Levy demanded Gajeel to take her home ("That's what friends do, remember?" She said, to which Gajeel said, "I don't ever remember you doing that for me," but was completely ignored by her.), until Levy wanted to sit in the park, despite Gajeel's grumbles and name calling.

"Gajeel," Levy looked at him in awe. "You really stayed."

Gajeel looked away. "Is that so hard to believe?" He asked, although with his gruff tone it sounded more of a statement.

She suddenly had an urge to hug his arm tight. _If only I was in a closer relationship with him_, she thought disappointedly.

Wait, wait. This is Gajeel we're talking about. This is the guy who terrorized her and beat her up and—

"Oh, what am I saying," She accidentally said aloud, placing her hand over her forehead. _Why am I still bringing that up, after the fact that I've already forgiven him for everything!_ She scolded herself.

"Huh?" Gajeel said, looking down at the girl. "Stupid girl." He mumbled, but she heard it.

"Oh, shut up. I've got an internal turmoil in my mind." She said, and sighed. Gajeel looked at her quizzically. It was as if she was having mood swings. But for the past few days, he's seen a lot of her, more than he ever thought he would. First and foremost, she was a bookworm. She has a sweet tooth, she helps when others need it, and she is reliable. Most of all, she is forgiving, and kind.

"I'm sorry," She said, surprising him. Gajeel wondered if she ever did something to him. "We're friends, okay? I'll always be your friend."

He kept his quizzical look on her. "…You don't need to force yourself to be my friend." He said, in an honest and good intention.

But what he received was a look of hurt from her as she looked at him. "How can you say that…?" She asked softly, the hurt evident in her voice.

Gajeel cringed. He didn't expect such a response. If anyone, it should be him who is upset if she didn't want to be friends with him. But here she was, apologizing for an unknown reason and becoming upset that he said such a thing. "Wha—Well, I—"

"Do you realize it's been past a month since you joined Fairy Tail?" She asked him. "I'll be honest, when you first appeared before me, I was terrified. I hated you. I thought, 'Why is that devil here?'"

She paused. Gajeel didn't bother to interrupt, unable to blame her for all of that. He did things that were unforgiveable. "I _was_ terrified. I _hated_ you. I _thought_ all of that." She hugged her knees to her chest and smiled. "Now it's different. I'm not terrified anymore. I don't hate you anymore. I take back the comment that you're a devil." She said with a giggle. "Because we're friends now."

Gajeel scratched his head lightly and sighed. "Is it that simple?" He asked.

She grinned and nodded. "It's that simple. Feelings can change."

There was another pause as Gajeel tried to come to terms with what she said. Was it really as simple as she said it was? Was it really okay for him to forget about what he did to her before? Was it okay for him to be close to a person like her?

"So…forget about what happened before we became friends, and just…move on." She said. Even Levy was beginning to feel irritated by Gajeel's reluctance to move on from his wrongdoings. "Because I've forgiven you a long time ago."

Gajeel ruffled her head. "I get it. Let's go home." He said, getting up and walking ahead.

She blushed. _Feelings can change_, she thought to herself as she stood up. She caught up with him, walking beside him. "Hey, slow down, I can't keep up with your pace." She said.

"Huh? Why should I? Sucks for you to be a shorty."

"Stupid Gajeel."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Oh, this chapter is so fluffy. I may or may not keep this story long because I'm worried that if I keep dragging we'll all lose interest (yes, including me). But I won't cram a lot of events in the coming chapters because that's not going to be fun. However, next chapter I'll be bringing some (typical) high school drama and have Gajeel and Levy's feelings roll around (figuratively, of course).

Chapter title is Milk Tea by Uemura Kana. I love the lyrics, and I was listening to this while I wrote the last scene of this chapter.


	7. Fallen Angel

**7. Fallen Angel**

Funnily, Wendy and Lucy became really close since that afternoon in the café. It's been a week since then and since the events that took place in the café and after, Levy was not amused whenever she came to school. First of all, she could feel disturbing stares. Secondly, she could hear whispers and mumbles about her (and she knew they were talking about her because she kept hearing 'That's her!' from them). Thirdly, there was a freaking Gajeel fan base.

That's right, in a span of a week or so – well it could have started way back when he joined because she honestly didn't realize until now – there was fan base for Gajeel. She wondered if the guy himself noticed, but looking at him, it didn't seem as though he does. It really annoyed her. She wouldn't deny that she is the closest female friend he has (heck, does he even have other female friends?) in school, **and** she is his tutor, **and **they spent time with each other quite a lot, **and** she shared the secret he had about Wendy (although the secret is now shared between Natsu, Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel). Heck, she could be the closest person to him out of everyone in this school.

And the reaction of his fan base towards her is pissing her off. Sometimes she would turn to face those whispering girls and shoot them a glare that made it obvious that she knew they were talking about her, but glaring at every one of them isn't going to stop them from talking about her in a terribly unsuccessful discreet way.

Today was not any different, although she was entering the school gates with Lucy. "Lucy, please tell me you notice these silly girls 'whispering' about me." Levy said frustratingly, her eyes showing no amusement as she spotted groups and groups of girls whispering her name.

Lucy gave a small laugh. "I think it's obvious to other people too." She said as they ignored the girls and headed to their class. Even the journey to their class was disturbed by obvious whispers of 'Levy' and 'Gajeel'. It was starting to get on her nerves. She put up with it last week, and it was pretty annoying then too.

Just then Gajeel was behind them. "Yo, shorty." He greeted in a casual way. He was trying to get the hand of greeting people he knew when he could, especially to this blue haired girl.

Levy turned around. "What?" She snapped, much to his surprise. She paused, composing herself. "O-Oh, sorry. I thought you were some girl—I mean, someone else." She said, laughing nervously before sighing.

He looked at her quizzically, but walked ahead. Levy pouted, watching his back. Lucy patted Levy's shoulder. "Calm down, Levy. In due time," Lucy consoled her.

"Wha—um, I'm not…thinking about anything…" Levy said softly, amusing Lucy and earning a giggle from the blonde. "Ugh, whatever. This is between us." Levy said.

And then Levy heard whispers of 'I can't believe she's in the same class as him!' and Levy spun around to look at the girls who were gossiping and glared at them. "Well suck it up, I am!" She said as she hastily made her way to class with Lucy.

* * *

><p>It was physical education and Levy was not fond of it. She would rather sit in class and read a book, but she wouldn't be able to skip this out. Not when the teacher is Gildarts Clive, who for some odd reason, appears to class for only certain days in a month. Usually, students would be complaining about the improper attitudes of such a teacher to the principal, but Gildarts was way better than the usual teacher they get, so students look forward to having classes with him.<p>

Today, however, was a game of dodgeball although it was girls versus girls and boys versus boys. And Levy dreaded it so much. She knew for a fact that there were girls in her class who are part of the Gajeel fan base. "This sucks." She said to Lucy, who shrugged helplessly. What could they do anyway? Levy had to sigh and suck it up.

"Okay, we're splitting you girls and guys into two groups each." Gildarts said, choosing different people to be in either group nonchalantly. Fortunately, Levy had Lucy and Erza in her team, but she noticed that there were a few fan girls in her team. There were many more in the other team, though. "Alright, boys are standby. Girls, take your position." He said, and once they were ready, "Start!" He blew the whistle.

Levy threw a ball to hit one of the girls, but she caught it. She threw back the ball, aiming at Levy, but it was an easy catch…had it not been for a teammate who seemingly accidentally pushed her down. Levy fell with a soft yelp. "What was that for?" She asked the teammate, and realized that she was a fan girl. "Oh, I see." Levy muttered under her breath.

The girl faked an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Levy! Are you okay?" She asked, but she didn't offer a hand to help Levy up.

"Oh, yeah. Just fine." Levy said sarcastically, making Lucy cringe and Erza chuckle.

The game continued, with the girls on the opposing team becoming more aggressive, especially to Levy. For some reason, it seemed as if majority of them were aiming their throws at Levy than any other girl. When Gildarts blew the whistle to end the game, Levy's team had stopped their movements but two from the opposing team did not. As a result, two hard throws hit Levy, one on her head. She placed her hand on her head, feeling dizzy.

Gildarts looked at the two girls. "You girls sure play rough," He said. "Levy, are you okay?"

Levy looked at Gildarts and nodded. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Gajeel who was looking straight at her. With Lucy and Erza, the three went to sit at the resting bench where the guys once sat. Walking past Gajeel, he asked her if she was fine, to which she replied that he shouldn't worry about her at all.

It only made Gajeel more confused. He noticed that she was fidgety from morning. She looked irritated for some reason the whole day, and now she's suddenly being treated quite harshly by her own classmates. Is that even normal? He asked himself in his mind, but shrugged it off as the game started, his competitive side burning up especially since Natsu was in the other team.

* * *

><p>"I doubt it's just coincidence that all of this is happening to me." Levy said over lunch. Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane were all at the school park, and not too far away were Natsu, Gray and a few other boys. The only one missing is Gajeel, and Levy knew he was probably sleeping at the rooftop. "Those girls must have had an evil meeting and created this evil attack on me."<p>

The other girls laughed. "Well, let's hope it isn't too bad…" Mirajane said, starting to feel concerned. "I hope this doesn't go as far as those terrible bullying incidents that we hear in other schools, and to think it would happen to you, Levy." She said. Then her eyes suddenly twinkled. "Then again, what if Gajeel saves you from the bullies? That would be sweet, don't you think?"

Levy gave a small laugh, thinking that it was highly unlikely that it would happen. Pushing aside the thought, she groaned. "I don't know how much longer I can put up with this." She said.

"You could tell Gajeel and have him do something to scare the girls," Erza suggested. She found it all amusing, but she wasn't going to let things become dangerous as well.

Levy looked hesitant. "Would he even do anything about it? Maybe he would actually like the attention." She said with a scoff. "Why would anyone be crazy about him anyway? He looks so mean and scary, and he has all those studs on his face and…"

The girls listened to her ramble on about him with giggles, knowing that she was the craziest person about him out of every fan girl in their school.

* * *

><p>Other than Jet and Droy, there were other guys in the school who had huge crushes for Levy. And it wasn't unnoticed by Gajeel because in the past few weeks he's become closer to Levy than any other guy in Fairy Tail. It was irritating to them because he was the guy who hurt her, and it was unfair because he just didn't seem like the nicest guy around. Needless to say, the guys who were in Levy's fan base felt serious jealousy that Gajeel could be so close to her.<p>

And needless to say, Gajeel had stares and glares from some of the guys he walked past for the past two weeks. He wouldn't mind them confronting him, and he wouldn't mind getting into a fight with them. After all, he liked the thrill of fights and he hasn't had some action for a long time. But he always told himself to hold back from doing anything because he wasn't supposed to be a crazy fighter like he used to be.

So he always went to the rooftop to have his lunch (which was usually nothing) and sleep. Sometimes he would go to the park if he saw some guys hanging on the rooftop. And often during the times he went to the park, he would see Levy and the other huge boobed friends of hers, which leads to the question of how their boobs got so huge. He wasn't the type who was so crazy about looks, but recently when he thinks of girls, he thinks of Levy. She looked…perfect, in his opinion.

He shook his head, forgetting about that. There were some other pressing matters, such as the incident during physical education. He didn't expect such rough play. Heck, even the guys didn't play their game with that sort of attitude. He glanced at her during math class while she scribbled some notes and attempted to solve questions. Had she done something to deserve that? But he couldn't believe that she had. She could be feisty at times, but she would never do anything that was so bad to result in her getting such treatment from her classmates.

"Gajeel!" Levy whispered, bringing him out of his reverie. There was a faint tint of red on her cheeks. "What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

He blinked for a second and shook his head. "I…couldn't solve this question." He pointed blindly to a random question on his notebook.

Levy looked at it, only to look back at him without amusement. "You solved the problem." She said, deadpanned. "Really, Gajeel. You should solve those other questions of yours before you start playing around." She said, looking back at her book. "Oh, but if there's anything you don't know, don't hesitate to ask me."

Gajeel grunted in response, looking back at his book and scribbling things while at the same time wondering why he felt uneasy whenever he thought about Levy and what had happened earlier. He spotted a glare by a guy sitting across him in the class. He must be one of them who likes Levy. Gajeel smirked and gave him a taunting look when the teacher announced that he wanted the books by the end of the day, with all the questions solved.

That means Levy had to bring all the books to the teacher's office. Gajeel was uneasy again, but he pushed it aside. He must just be worrying for no reason. He narrowed his eyes for a moment. Why is he even worrying so much for her?

* * *

><p>Levy sighed. Sometimes it sucked being the class head. It was past school hours and she had to wait until everyone placed their notebooks in the front desk of the classroom, and count whether she had all of them. Then she had to carry them all the way to the teacher's office, which is on the other side of the building. By the time she finished all of that, she was exhausted and she wanted to relax at home and read a book. She looked outside, seeing that the skies were darkening and it was probably going to rain soon if she didn't hurry.<p>

She headed to the washroom where she noticed a group of familiar girls standing, once noisily gossiping about _this girl_ and _that girl_ and _that guy_ and _this guy_. They fell silent when Levy entered, and she had a feeling that she shouldn't stay any longer. She turned to walk out when she was roughly yanked back by one of them and she fell to the floor. "Well, look here. It's Levy McGarden." One of the girls said, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "You're close to Gajeel, aren't you? What type of girls do you think he likes?"

Levy held back from laughing, but it was obvious she wanted to laugh. "Um, I don't know. Why don't you ask him? I don't have all those juicy information you're trying to discover. And I'm sure as hell you wouldn't get much information out of me by treating me like crap." Levy said in irritation.

Her response only irritated the girls. "We hate it when you're sticking to him like glue. Don't you know that sometimes he needs his privacy?" One of them yelled at her, and Levy had an incredulous look on her face that turned into her lips being tightly drawn together in a very sarcastic way, because the girl just sounded like a complete idiot.

"And I suppose he gets his privacy with all of you lurking in the shadows and watching his every move? I'm sure he's noticed from a long time before that there have been girls stalking him. You know why I'm sure?" She purposely teased them. "Because I know him better than all of you."

_Oh crap, I'm digging my own grave_, she thought, but she just couldn't help it.

Before Levy realized, another one of the girls had a bucket of water in her hands and threw it on Levy, getting her drenched in water and her shirt was soaked. But that wasn't going to affect her. Getting beaten up and having scars was one thing, but crying over silly bullying? No, she wasn't a weak little girl who needed help over this, and it was time for her to stand up on her own. She wasn't going to ask Gajeel for help, and she's not going to ask Lucy or Erza or Mirajane for help too, especially when they might be affected by it as well. She stood up. "Is that all you want from me?" She asked.

The girls fumed. Maybe if Levy stood close enough, they would dry the water she was drenched in. "You just wait," One of them warned as they left the washroom. Once they all left, Levy exhaled and wiped her face with her handkerchief. She looked at herself in the mirror.

"I am in a little bad situation." She said to herself as she walked out of the washroom. It was pouring. "Great, now I have to wait." She muttered under her breath.

Then a boy appeared, calling her name. She turned around to see Freed Justine, who smiled at her pleasantly with an umbrella in his hand. Seeing that she was drenched, his eyes turned wide in surprise. "Have you been in the rain?" He asked.

Levy smiled at him. "Um, sort of." _A rain of angry fan girls_, she thought. "Are you on your way back?" She asked him.

He nodded. Levy turned back to look at the pouring rain. It didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. "Shall we share this umbrella? I'll escort you home." He offered politely.

She shook her head. "No, I don't want to bother you, and there's only one umbrella—"

He pulled her closer under the umbrella and took her out of school grounds. "One umbrella is fine for two." He said as they walked under the rain, with Freed eventually escorting her back home.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Oh God why did I choose Freed out of all people?

Okay, true story. The moment I typed out the above sentence, I got a nice idea for the story. That's _pretty_ cool. Anyway, typical high school drama, some bullying here and there. I actually cannot wait to start writing the next chapter, but I've got to hold on first. Teehee. I hope you enjoyed reading this, reviews please? Thank you!

Oh, and chapter title is Fallen Angel by Aimee B.


	8. Feelin' The Same Way

**8. Feelin' The Same Way**

Levy woke up the next morning with a slight groan, and realizing that she had fallen asleep right after Freed had sent her home. She blushed when remembering Freed and his kindness. She never expected him to act so kind to her yesterday, although she knew his personality is that way. He was probably the kindest guy she knew in Fairy Tail, except for Jet and Droy, but those two are unnecessarily kind to her because they like her.

She felt a slight headache, but chose to forget about it, thinking that it would probably go away if she didn't think about it. Levy headed to school, looking a little weary, but no one really noticed. She took her notebooks for the day's classes and headed to the classroom, where she greeted everyone. Gajeel, as usual, sat beside her, looking outside the window and thinking about things she doesn't know. Or maybe he isn't thinking about anything.

Levy took her seat and placed her notebook on her desk, and flipped it open. She gasped when she looked at the contents. What was supposed to be empty were filled with scribbles and death threats, undoubtedly from the girls that picked on her yesterday.

"Woah, shrimp," Gajeel said. "Didn't know you love to doodle." He snickered.

Levy was about to tell him that it was his fan girls, but she stopped herself and gave a small, uncomfortable laugh instead. "Y-Yeah, I didn't think I could doodle this much." She said, flipping through the book and realizing that they had messed up her notebook completely, some of the pages torn out. In fear, she checked her other notebooks that she took from her locker, and found that the other one too has been turned into the same condition, making them useless.

"What happened to your books?" Gajeel asked incredulously. He knew she wouldn't do such a thing to her own notebooks, and who would?

Lucy, who sat on her other side, looked at Levy in concern since she knew it was those girls. "Levy…" She started, only to be given a look from Levy to stop from saying anything further. She wasn't going to have Gajeel involved in this. It wouldn't be good.

Levy forced a laugh again. "I, um, I guess I placed them carelessly in my locker and they got messed up." She made up, much to Lucy's disapproval and Gajeel's suspicion. Levy had a feeling he saw through her lie, but since he didn't question it, she didn't bother much about it.

* * *

><p>Gajeel yawned as he decided to take a nap on the rooftop. A few seconds after he closed his eyes, the door opened and he heard footsteps.<p>

"What do you want to talk about, Freed?" He heard a familiar blue haired girl say.

He heard a chuckle, guessing it was Freed. "It's a little embarrassing." Gajeel shifted his position, hiding away from them but making himself possible to eavesdrop into their conversation.

"Oh come on," Levy said. "You called me out here, and you're not going to tell me?" She said.

She sounded a little too sweet to Freed, according to Gajeel. Something sparked in him as he heard her voice. She never talks to him in that way, he thought sulkily.

Gajeel notices a faint blush on her cheeks as Freed leans down t whisper in her ear. When he finishes and straightens himself up, she smiles widely. "Yes! I will, definitely!" She said enthusiastically.

_What was that? _Gajeel thought. _What was that? What did he say to her?_ He cursed in his mind. _Did he just ask her out? _And then Gajeel's spirit plummeted.

_And she said 'yes'_.

After a thank you from Freed to Levy, they both walked out of the rooftop and down the stairs, leaving Gajeel's sight. Gajeel gritted his teeth. "Who the fuck is Freed? Levy hardly spends her time with any other guy but me, so why? Why would they be going out, all of a sudden? That doesn't make sen—"

He stopped. Maybe they have been close from before he entered Fairy Tail. That would explain it.

And his spirit plummeted even deeper.

* * *

><p>Levy noticed his disheartened state when he came back to class. She had managed to finish rewriting her notes into new sets of notebooks and she was glad. She felt that even if she went to the girls and confronted them about it, they wouldn't give one bit of care to it.<p>

But now her attention was on Gajeel. "What's wrong?" She asked him in concern. He doesn't usually look depressed. He would more often look irritated or completely neutral, but never really depressed. "Something bothering you?"

Gajeel grunted, looking away from her. He felt a tight squeeze in his chest that was uncomfortable, and he knew it was because of her but he knew he couldn't avoid her. How could he, when he sits right beside her? He only had to put up with it for the rest of the day. When the last ring of the bell sounded throughout the school, Gajeel upped and left, to Levy's surprise.

"Wait, Gajeel." Levy called out to him, stopping him at the door. But he didn't turn around. "Um, I'll come by your house later for tutoring again, okay? Just reminding you."

Oh, he would never have forgotten their tutoring sessions, but he didn't want them anymore. "Not today, I'm not feeling well." He said gruffly, walking away from her sight. Levy watched his retreating form, wondering what was wrong.

* * *

><p>Levy had gone to her locker to grab all of her things before any damage could be done, but she was too late. Her locker was soaked, and what was worse is that Lucy's novel was also in there, and it's a victim of the bullying. Levy bit her lower lip, tears prickling her eyes.<p>

"Oh, it's alright, Levy. It should be fine as long as it dries." Lucy said, comforting her over the phone.

Levy sat in the classroom alone, since everyone had left by then. She immediately called Lucy and told her what happened. "I'm so sorry, Lucy! If only I kept it with me the whole time…"

"Levy," Lucy sounded stern. "It's not your fault at all, and I know it's those girls. So don't worry about it! Just leave it under the sun and let it dry, and it'll be the same as before!" She said cheerily.

"Lucy…" Levy said, her voice quivering. "Thank you so much."

"I'm here for you, Levy. If you need help, just tell me." She said. Levy could hear Lucy's encouraging smile over the phone.

After the phone call, Levy decided to head back home. And she was looking forward to the tutoring session with Gajeel today. Thinking about him, she wondered why he was so strange after lunch. He was fine before that, but he changed all of a sudden.

The door of the classroom slid open. There was a tiny hope in Levy's heart that it was Gajeel, but unfortunately, Gajeel's fan girls appeared. She groaned inwardly. Why, dear Lord, why? She grabbed her bag and tried to walk past them, but to no avail.

"Oh please," One of them said arrogantly. "Did you really think you can get away from us?" She scoffed.

Levy shrugged. "What will I be subjected to this time?" She asked uninterestedly, hiding the fact that she was a little worried of what they might do. After all, it was a group of five girls with evil intentions and what they might do to her can be worse than before. "I'm surprised you can still do this. Aren't you worried that I might tell Gajeel?" She asked.

"If you do, then you should be afraid of what's going to come to you." One of them warned her. She pushed Levy to the wall, and once Levy's back hit the wall, she was pinned by the one who pushed her. "Really, you wouldn't want to dare us." The girl hissed at Levy.

Levy glared at her. "I would. I would dare you." She said without wavering. She wasn't going to lose to them. She didn't want to lose to them. She'd feel terrible if one of them started going out with Gajeel. She would be a better girlfriend than any of them, and she will be a better girlfriend than any of them.

_I will…?_ She questioned herself, surprised at her own determination. She blushed for a moment, thinking about being his girlfriend.

"As I thought," Levy snapped out of her thoughts when another one of the girls from the group stepped forward with a frown and a scowl. "You like him too."

Levy averted her gaze. She wouldn't deny it. They showed no embarrassment in saying that they like him, so she too wouldn't deny her own feelings. She stood up straight, her bold stature pushing the girls away from her. "That's right," Levy said, her voice loud and clear. "I like Gajeel, a lot more than just friends. And I'm not going to let any of you get him."

At the end of the confrontation, they had ganged up on her and pushed her harshly to the chairs and table, with her back hitting them. She felt a corner of the table hitting her back and it hurt. Whether it would bruise would be another thing, but right now that spot just below her shoulder, where she got hit, hurt. When they left, Levy made everything in the classroom right again, so that no one would notice the next day. By then she had a worse headache compared to the one she had in the morning, and she felt a little warm.

And then she decided to head to Gajeel's home to ask him what was wrong with him.

* * *

><p>Gajeel sighed as he lay down on his couch, unable to forget what he saw on the rooftop. He clenched his fist. It made him mad to see her being so friendly with another guy. Sure she was friendly with Natsu and Gray but the way she looked at Freed today – it just made him irritated.<p>

And the fact that he couldn't quite avoid her irritated him even more.

He heard a few soft knocks on his door. Getting off the couch, he went to open the door, hoping it was not the person he had in mind.

But it was.

He groaned inwardly. "What?" He asked a little rudely, earning a surprised reaction from her.

"W-Well, I was wondering if something happened today in school because you seemed upset about something. And you said you weren't feeling well, so I came to check if you're okay now." She explained.

Gajeel grunted. "I'm fine." He said, sounding very unwelcoming.

"O-Oh, I see. So...I guess that's all…" She said, her voice slowly going softer with every word.

"Yeah, okay. Bye." He said as he closed the door on her.

Levy fumed. She was so concerned and he just shut the door on her face! How could he? She knocked on the door again, but this time she knocked it harder. Gajeel once again opened the door, and the moment he opened it, Levy started yelling at him.

"How could you do that? I was so worried and scared that I did something to upset you and I come all the way here to see you, only for you to act like a complete jerk to me and slam the door in my face? You're a jerk, an idiot, a devil!" She yelled.

Gajeel was agitated as well. "Well if I'm such a devil, why even come here to see me?" He yelled back. "Just hang out with another guy who's important to you and leave me alone!" He slammed the door on her again.

Levy bit her lower lip and held back tears that threatened to fall. "Stupid Gajeel." She mumbled as she walked back home in tears.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Whoo, that was such a dramatic chapter. Maybe the story will finish after a few more chapters, I don't know. Teehee.

Chapter title is Feelin' The Same Way by Norah Jones.

Please review~


	9. Blame It On Me

**9. Blame It on Me**

Levy had not come to school the next day, and Gajeel was looking unexpectedly very angry at school. For the whole day, no one really dared to talk to him except for Natsu and Lucy, but even Lucy didn't want to bring up Levy's name around him, fearing that something had happened between them that caused his anger.

Lucy tried calling Levy a number of times but she never picked up, and Lucy was starting to get worried. She searched for Gajeel during lunch, and managed to find him on the rooftop because she remembered Levy saying something along the lines of how Gajeel always liked to stay on the rooftop during lunch. "Gajeel," Lucy called out, making him open his eyes from a nap he could barely get. He looked at her expectantly, and she continued. "I was, um, wondering if something happened between you and Levy?"

Gajeel would have yelled at her partly in taking out his anger on her, but he wasn't about to let his anger get the better of him. "Tch, ask her." He said, turning away from her.

"I would if she was here, Gajeel." Lucy said sternly. "She hasn't even been picking up my calls and no one knows anything about her current situation. What I do know is that yesterday, you two got into an argument, if what the rest of the boys from your dorm was right. I'm worried about her." She sighed. Maybe Gajeel isn't going to be cooperative after all.

And then her phone rang.

* * *

><p>Levy groaned. She woke up groggily, with a splitting headache and feeling very hot. She sat up on her bed, taking her phone that was on her bedside table. She looked at her clock and gasped. "It's 12 o'clock?" She jumped out of bed only to feel weak and lethargic. She just didn't feel well.<p>

She flipped open her phone and realized she had a number of missed calls from Lucy. She walked back to her bed and crawled under her covers while dialing Lucy's number.

The blonde girl picked up immediately. "Levy? I was so worried. Are you at home? Are you okay?" She asked, worry evident in her voice.

Levy made a small sound that meant she was okay. "I'm at home. I think I have a fever," She paused, and thought that even if she didn't have a fever, she didn't want to go to school knowing that she'd meet Gajeel. "I'm going to stay at home." She said softly.

Lucy faltered, hearing Levy's sad and disappointed tone. "Oh…okay. That's fine, just get some rest! I'll come by later, okay?" She said reassuringly.

Levy had a small smile on her face. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Lucy kept her phone back into her pocket and glared at Gajeel's back, imagining that she was burning holes into his back. And he knew she was trying. "She's ill." Lucy said.<p>

"Well now you know her situation." Gajeel said, sounding indifferent.

Lucy clenched her fists. "You don't even care?" She asked in irritation.

"Someone cares about her more than I do." He mumbled.

Lucy looked at him quizzically. "And who's that you have in mind?" She didn't hear anything about Levy having someone special. And it would be strange that she didn't, when she was Levy's close friend.

"That green haired guy. Freed." Gajeel spat. Thinking about Freed just annoyed the heck out of him already. He's just a guy with green hair and looks like a gentleman. So what? Gajeel could probably beat his ass. What did Levy ever see in him?

Gajeel turned to face Lucy when she burst out into fits of laughter. He scowled at her. "What's so funny?" He hissed.

Still laughing, she held her palm up to him as a signal for him to wait until she settled down. "Oh Gajeel," She said, a wide smile on her face. "You're jealous!"

He shot up. "What?" He stared at her incredulously. He stood still, thinking for a second. "I'll admit she's a good friend, so I guess—"

Lucy laughed again. "No, Gajeel. You _like_ her. You know, like how Natsu and I are going out because we like each other." She explained.

"What?" He said once again, staring at her incredulously. "You and Salamander are dating?" He asked.

Lucy sighed. "I think you're asking me the wrong question." She shook her head hopelessly at him.

Gajeel scoffed, looking away with his arms placed across his chest. "You're wrong. She's a good friend, that's all." But Lucy could see through him. And he could see her unwavering smile that showed she didn't believe him.

"Think about it really carefully, Gajeel." She said as she stood up, leaving the area and a frustrated Gajeel. She didn't clear up the misunderstanding about Freed and Levy for her own silly reason. She snickered mentally. _Adds more drama_, she thought slyly.

* * *

><p>Levy groaned as she woke up, hearing her door being knocked. <em>It should be Lucy<em>, she thought as she got out of bed slowly, walking towards the door and opening it. And there was Lucy and Mirajane, looking pleasant and supportive. "Hi." Levy said weakly as she let them in.

Mirajane placed her hand on Levy's forehead. "You definitely have a fever." She said. "And I'm sure you haven't eaten all day."

Levy shrugged. "I'm not really hungry." She mumbled as she walked back to her bed and crawled under the covers, the other two girls following.

Mirajane smiled. "I'll cook some soup for you, and I've brought some medicine for you to take." She said as she headed to the kitchen.

Lucy looked at Levy's tired figure and remembered her earlier conversation with Gajeel. She giggled, making Levy look at her curiously. "Why are you laughing?" The blue haired girl asked her friend.

Lucy shook her head. "I just remembered something funny." She said. "It was, um, Natsu and his silly antics." She lied with a smile.

Levy smiled. "It's great that you're dating Natsu now, Lucy. You look so happy." She said. "And Natsu's finally in control." She added sarcastically.

Lucy laughed, giving a small smile. "I am happy. But Levy, you need to tell Gajeel what's been happening for those past few days. If anyone, he would effectively be able to stop his fan girls from bullying you."

Levy covered the bottom half of her face and shook her head. "I won't. I won't care about him anymore, and I'll deal with them myself." She said, averting her eyes from Lucy's own concerned eyes.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Lucy asked gently. She knew she was the only person who knew that they both have feelings for each other, but she wasn't going to tell them their feelings towards each other. She'll support them, but she won't let their secrets out until they do it themselves.

Levy looked at Lucy again, the blue haired girl's eyes evidently upset. And so Levy told Lucy everything that happened yesterday, from the bullies to Gajeel's rudeness. Lucy sighed inwardly. These two were completely opposites. Then again, so were Natsu and herself. Gajeel and Levy were just too stubborn and Gajeel is still unsure of his own feelings.

Mirajane appeared with a bowl of soup and a glass of water. Levy took her time eating it as Mirajane kept saying dreamy things about Gajeel and Levy, much to Levy's discomfort. "Mira, what about you? Don't you have anyone in mind?" Levy asked.

The reason why Levy asked Mirajane this question is because of Freed. Now, we all anticipated what Freed whispered into Levy's ear that fateful day. The sweet answer is that Freed has always been interested in Mirajane. He knew her for a very long time. She's sweet and gentle, but frightening when angry, and he was once a victim of her demon side. Despite that, he couldn't forget her.

And knowing that Levy and Lucy are close friends of Mirajane's, he asked them for help. Naturally, the two girls would love to do so, because they always thought Mirajane and Freed adorable together. They also thought that Mirajane does have feelings for Freed, even though she never mentioned it once.

Mirajane said nothing, although she kept a sweet smile on her face. Lucy and Levy knew that she wasn't about to let them know anything much about herself, and they gave up immediately. Besides, if she became agitated from their pestering, it wouldn't look pretty.

Levy finished her bowl of soup and took her medicine. Not long after, she crawled back into her bed, and Lucy and Mirajane left her alone for her to sleep. When they were ready to leave the house, a light knock was heard on Levy's door. Lucy went to open it. There stood Gajeel, who looked sullen and maybe even a little guilty. Lucy smiled. "I didn't expect you to knock so lightly." She joked, to Gajeel's irritation.

He stepped in, Lucy gladly letting him inside. She placed a finger over her lips. "Levy's already asleep, don't wake her up. She…" Lucy sighed. "She doesn't seem like she really wants to see you."

Lucy's words definitely had an impact on Gajeel, and he frowned. "Fine." He muttered, walking past her to Levy's room, his feet silent and ghostly. Levy was curled under her covers, only her sleeping face and her hands placed beside either side of her face. She looked just like a sleeping baby, although her face was a little paler than usual. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stood there, looking down at her silently.

He turned to walk out the same way he entered. Lucy placed her arms across her chest and looked at him expectantly. "What's on your mind?" She asked. "If you don't mind telling me."

Gajeel grunted. "Nothing." He said, averting his gaze from hers. "How I feel doesn't make a difference in the situation." He mumbled, much to Lucy's amusement.

"My, Gajeel likes Levy?" Mirajane asked in mock surprise. Gajeel and Lucy looked at Mirajane. Gajeel was not amused while Lucy was laughing lightly at the blatant act.

Gajeel sighed. "What does it matter, she's got that green haired 'gentleman'." He sulked, when Mirajane twitched. Her reaction was not unnoticed by Lucy and Gajeel, who looked at her curiously.

"Is that so?" Mirajane said, a smile plastered on her face. "Perhaps we should ask him, hm?" She said, her voice becoming strangely scary.

Lucy gave a small shriek, frightened. Gajeel grimaced. Mirajane walked towards the door, looking back at the two. "Gajeel, you will be following." She ordered him, and he seemed to have obeyed her wordlessly. "Lucy, you may follow us if you'd like to." She added gently before going out of the house with Gajeel following her reluctantly. The door slammed shut and the sound reverberated in the now silent house, Lucy standing still.

"…Lucy…?" The blonde girl heard her friend groggily call out her name. Lucy turned around to see Levy, who rubbed her eyes groggily and looked at her curiously. "What happened? Where's Mirajane?"

Lucy gave a nervous laugh. "Nothing happened. Mirajane had some sudden matter to take care of so she went ahead. You should go back to sleep." Lucy said hastily, bringing Levy back to her bed, much to Levy's suspicion.

* * *

><p>"C-Calm down, Mirajane!" The green haired man said with his hands raised defensively in front of him when he saw Mirajane's frighteningly sweet demeanor. Gajeel stood behind them, looking awkward and longingly at the door. But he could not move, thinking that if he made a move which is highly likely a mistake, Mirajane could breathe fire upon him.<p>

"I am pleasantly and perfectly calm, **Freed Justine**." She said, emphasizing his name. He flinched. "I have heard from Gajeel that you have asked Levy to become your girlfriend. Is that true?" She asked, her sweet voice still the same.

Gajeel looked away. Freed stared in surprise. All he could answer at the moment was "What?" Mirajane stepped forward, moving closer to Freed. He cringed, moving back until he hit the wall. "Wait, Mirajane. That's a misunderstanding. Gajeel, I think you've been mistaken." Freed said hastily, as if his life was going to end soon.

Mirajane's smile was fading, and Freed grimaced. "I asked her for help!" He said.

"Help?" Mirajane repeated questioningly.

"I asked her to help me…" He blushed. "Help me get closer to you."

Gajeel looked at Freed at first when hearing the truth. Then he looked at Mirajane, who took a step back and became beet red.

And then Gajeel felt like a complete idiot for jumping to conclusions. _I need to apologize again_, he thought as he sighed inwardly.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

**Gajeel keeps messing up, doesn't he? Poor guy. But Levy still has to deal with Gajeel's silly fan girls. Will she gain victory, or be beaten to a pulp? Heh. **

**Chapter title is Blame it on me by Parachute.**


	10. Hard To Say I Love You

**10. Hard To Say I Love You**

Levy had a strange dream of Gajeel's presence in her room. Even though she likes the guy, it was a peculiar dream that made her shudder. Was she that obsessed with him that she would even dream of him watching her sleep? Nevertheless, she woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed and better from her fever.

Nothing could beat this day. She felt so great. So what if she got into an argument with Gajeel? So what if she had evil fan girls after her? So what if she might get some errand that would make her stay back in school once again?

She grumbled as she thought them. Okay, so these things did bring down her day already. The worst was not the fan girls, it was Gajeel. She doesn't even know why he snapped at her that day, and why he acted so rudely. Ever since they become good friends, he had never acted so rudely to her. Remembering all those moments they shared – which made her blush – why would he act this way so suddenly?

She sighed as she entered the classroom, and there she saw Gajeel, as usual, sitting in class earlier than her. "Levy, are you better now?" She heard Lucy ask her from behind, and Levy smiled.

"Yes! I'm feeling great. And taking a break from school helped me clear my thoughts, so that was a plus!" Levy said cheerfully. She turned around, walking to her seat and sitting down, avoiding from looking at Gajeel and turning her attention mostly to Lucy and her books and the things that they would study for today.

And Gajeel was not good at giving apologies, so he didn't know how to go about it.

* * *

><p>Levy's act of avoiding Gajeel was not unnoticed by her friends. It was an awkward tension between Levy and Gajeel, because while Gajeel seemed to be trying to start a conversation with her, she would deliberately look away, start a conversation with someone other than him, or talk aloud to herself as if she would try to drown out his voice.<p>

And each time she did that, it lowered Gajeel's spirit to make up with her.

Lucy gave a small laugh when she was talking to Levy during a free class. "Levy, don't you think you're being bit harsh on Gajeel?" She asked. "I think he's really trying to apologize to you."

Levy narrowed her eyes at Lucy. "Don't tell me you're on his side!" She said, and then sighed. "W-Well, I guess I might be a little hard on him…but he yelled at me for a reason I have yet to know!" She said grumpily. "I'm going to get a drink," She said as she walked back into the school to the cafeteria.

It was there, for the first time, that she saw Gajeel sitting with Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and Alzack. While Alzack was silent (it also seemed as if his table was invaded by the rest), Natsu and Gray were arguing about something silly again, and Elfman kept saying how men should not be making so much noise, despite making so much of noise himself. Gajeel was telling them to be quiet when he noticed Levy walk in.

And then he noticed that a few girls approached her, and they all walked out of the cafeteria, although it seemed as though Levy was being forced to leave. Not knowing that she was actually going to be in trouble, he simply watched, what with the tension between them.

* * *

><p>Levy would not put up with this any longer. She knew she wasn't strong enough to push these girls away and make them stop this silly bullying, but she was going to try. "Could you please stop all of this nonsense?" She asked them as they walked towards a secluded area of the school, one of them having a strong grip on Levy's arms as they pulled her.<p>

They were becoming desperate. "Stop being friends with Gajeel!" They said angrily.

"You have got to be kidding me," Levy scoffed. "You don't simply end a friendship! I'm so much better than that, idiots!" She yelled, pulling her arm away from them. "This is the end of this. I'm not letting you do this anymo—"

Levy stopped speaking when one of the girls pulled out a pocket knife. Even the rest of the girls didn't expect it. "You are ending any connection with Gajeel, I mean it." The girl with the knife hissed.

Levy stared at her. "You can't be serious. You're going as far as to hurt me if I say no? All this for a guy?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm dead serious." The girl smirked. "You see, I hate you greatly. You're always able to catch his attention. He's there when you need him, and he's there when you don't. He gives you a look, that stupid look, whenever you're together. It's fucking annoying." She gripped her pocket knife strongly.

Levy took a step back, only to bump into the wall. Her eyes widened. _Oh God, she's going to kill me_, Levy thought, as well as noticing the rest of the girls running away. "Calm down." Levy said softly, inching away from the wall and towards the corner where she could make a dash for it back to where everyone is. The girl noticed.

"Stop running away!" She yelled, jabbing the knife towards Levy and slicing her left shoulder.

Levy yelped, reflexes taking over and she started running away. Nearing the park area where Lucy and the rest were sitting, she screamed their names. They turned, surprised to see Levy, and concerned when they saw her bleeding.

"Levy!" Mirajane gasped in concern, and Erza walked hastily towards the blue haired girl, only for her to fall into her arms.

"Levy, oh my God. What happened?" Lucy asked, with her eyes wide in surprise and concern.

The cut on her shoulder bled profusely, and her shirt was inevitably stained red. "First things first, we have to treat her wound." Mirajane said, holding her arm and helping her walk to the infirmary along with Lucy and Erza.

As they passed by students within the school on the way to the infirmary, the students started talking. Mirajane passed them looks that made them silent, until the girls entered the infirmary and shut the door.

* * *

><p>Gajeel had returned to class by then, leaving the other four boys to their silly antics, when two classmates came inside chattering. "Did you see Levy's shirt? Man, that seemed bad." One of them said.<p>

"Yeah, I wonder how she got that injury though. Did she cut herself on something?" The other said.

Gajeel stood up, walking straight towards them. "Where is she now?" He asked.

The two classmates looked at him. "Uh, she's in the infirmary." They said, and Gajeel left in a rush.

He arrived at the infirmary in just a minute, and from outside where he stood, he could hear the girls speak. "Levy, is this scar from that time when Gajeel…" He heard Mirajane speak.

"Y-Yeah, it's fading though, and I'm over that." Levy said. Gajeel grimaced, a bitter feeling in his throat. So she has a scar to remind her of that incident. He was despicable, he would admit that.

"And this bruise?" Lucy asked.

"Those fan girls of his pushed me down and I hit the corner of the table." Levy answered. "And now one of them cut me." He heard her sigh. "But…I don't know, I'm not so angry at them. They like him a lot. I guess they let their jealousies get the better of them, but I can understand the part where they like him. On the bright side, I think they'll stop all of this now that this has happened."

He stopped. _Who's him?_ He thought. And is she getting bullied by a bunch of girls? Nevertheless, after a slight pause, he slid the door open. There he saw Levy sitting shirtless with just her bra on, and three girls who looked surprised. He gulped. Maybe he should have waited longer.

But that was a pretty good sight to see.

Levy's face turned completely red. "G-Ga-Gajeel." She said, immediately grabbing her shirt and placing it on her chest to cover herself up, although it was too late.

"Oh, hello, Gajeel." He heard Mirajane greet him sweetly, but he knew just what that meant when she used that tone.

He slid the door close immediately, fearing her wrath, when Natsu and Gray appeared calling out Levy's name. They slid open the door and saw Levy's nearly bare chest as well, only for the back of their collars to be grabbed by Gajeel and swung across the hall and away from the infirmary. "What are you looking at?" Gajeel yelled in anger, to Mirajane's amusement and Levy's embarrassment.

* * *

><p>Gajeel was not able to speak to Levy until after school, because class had started right after the incident in the infirmary, and Levy had gone to have a talk with Master Makarov personally regarding what had happened to her.<p>

While he was about to leave to Levy's house, Lucy stopped him. "It's about Levy." She said, which caught his attention immediately. Natsu had joined not any later, as he and Lucy always stuck together, but he too was interested in Levy's situation.

"Levy's being bullied." Lucy said.

"I heard." Gajeel mumbled, and when he received a questioning look from Lucy, "I heard you talking about it inside the infirmary."

"And these girls who are bullying her," Lucy gave a slight pause. "They're obsessed with you."

Gajeel's eyes widened in surprise. Natsu burst into laughter when Gajeel barked at him. "Hey, is that so weird, Salamander? You probably have none!"

Lucy glared at them, immediately silencing the two boys. "Anyway, I can't stand it anymore. She insists that she solves this problem herself but she got hurt today, and I don't know how long this is going to continue!" She sighed. "I feel bad after Levy told me not to tell you about this but I'm afraid she'll get hurt even more."

Gajeel didn't know whether he should go up to her and yell at her for her stupidity, or just stay silent. "So it's my fault." He said, his voice loud and clear in the silence.

Natsu frowned. "Don't you think you'd upset Levy more if you told her that?" He asked. "The reason why she didn't want to tell you is probably because of that. Because you'd say," Natsu mocked Gajeel. "'So it's my fault'."

Lucy looked at Natsu in awe. "This is unexpected of you, Natsu." She said, impressed. Natsu only gave her flick on her forehead, looking insulted.

It then turned into affectionate displays between the giggling blonde girl and the chuckling pink haired boy in front of Gajeel. He gritted his teeth, annoyed, and stood, walking away from them. The two blushed when he stood, and Lucy called out to him. "What are you planning to do?"

"I don't know," Gajeel said. "I'm going to think."

* * *

><p>Levy sighed contently as she sat alone in a café, having a parfait for herself. She dug in, the sweet cool cream melting in her mouth and giving her a joyful feeling. <em>As I thought, when feeling down, eating sweet desserts are the best!<em> She thought to herself with a smile. She took a bite of her strawberry and chewed happily, when she saw a familiar friend.

_Or crush_, she thought with a giggle. She found it strange how she likes him more than a friend, but it was not such a bad feeling, even though the feeling isn't mutual.

Gajeel spotted her sitting in one of the outdoor café seats and stopped. They both looked at each other from a distance, both aware of their presence and wondering what is going to happen. Levy tilted her head to the side. "Gajeel." She said, although she wondered if he actually heard her.

And if he didn't, he would have read her lips. Even if he wasn't ready to talk to her now, he had to because she wouldn't let him go if he didn't.

And he wouldn't have her let him go if he didn't.

So he took a seat across her, in the messy uncaring way of his, but she didn't care. There was a moment of silence between them, as neither of them knew what to say or how to start the conversation. She kept eating spoonfuls of her large dessert, and he looked elsewhere as though there was some interesting event going on away from them.

And then Levy started giggling, which caught Gajeel's attention. "Stupid Gajeel, it's not your fault, but I wish I could be stupid and say it is." She mumbled.

He snorted. "You're plenty stupid, so just say it."

"I can't."

"You can."

Levy frowned. "You don't even know what I'm talking about."

"I do." He said. "Heard from Lucy."

She froze, and the only thing moving was the spoon in her hand which shook slightly. "Forget what she said."

"Don't say something stupid."

"But you said I am stupid."

The conversation stopped, with the both of them now grumpy. Levy stuffed spoonfuls of her parfait into her mouth sulkily while he was looking elsewhere once again. Only after a few seconds did Gajeel sigh. "Are you okay?" He asked, at first referring to her injury, but he would also like it if she talked about herself as a whole.

"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt." She said, knowing he was referring to the cut. Then she blushed, remembering that he saw her shirtless in the infirmary. "W-Whatever you saw…in the infirmary," She said, and Gajeel had a tint of red across his cheeks. "F-Forget it."

There was a slight pause. For Levy, it felt awkward, and she wondered if Gajeel thought she was silly for asking him to do this. After all, she didn't have such great physical assets like Lucy or Erza or Mirajane, and she certainly wasn't beautiful.

But to Gajeel, the pause in their conversation was him trying to collect his thoughts, because when he saw her shirtless, his imagination had undoubtedly ran wild. "Okay." He said in the end, but that was a lie. He couldn't forget even if he wanted to.

"I think the problem's solved now that I told Master Makarov what's been happening to me," Levy said with a smile as she looked at her half-full parfait. "Although I told him that he shouldn't give them a very harsh punishment."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so lenient after what they've done to you?" He asked.

Levy blushed lightly. "Because…I can understand their feelings." She said softly, her face warming up shyly. _This is a near confession! What if he says something that would upset me? What if he says nothing at all?_ She thought, nervous and excited.

Gajeel looked at her. What did she mean by that? Could she understand their feelings because she has feelings for someone, or because it's him she has feelings for? He opened his mouth slightly to ask what she meant by that, but the fear that her answer might not be a positive one got the better of him, and he closed his mouth, unable to ask her what she meant. "I've…gotta go." He said, getting up and leaving.

Watching his retreating back, she became utterly devastated.

"Gajeel…"

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I finally finished this chapter! Okay, I was actually just a little lazy. I have a feeling this story might end soon. I also have a bigger feeling that my other story is going to end soon. And I've already loads of ideas for a new story!

Chapter title is Hard To Say I Love You by Weaver. It is from a Japanese drama called Sunao ni narenakute, and it's quite a good drama. :)


	11. Band Aid

**11. Band Aid**

Lucy stared at the girl who sniffed lightly before her on her doorstep. "Levy? What's wrong? What happened?" She asked in concern, letting the blue haired girl inside her home to talk about the situation in privacy.

Levy sniffed. "I…I told Gajeel how I feel about him." She said.

The fact that Levy was crying didn't seem as though it went well. Lucy fumed. _That idiot, what is he thinking? Does he just suck at telling his feelings or does he just suck entirely?_ She thought. They took their seats on Lucy's dining table and Levy, with her arms on the table, buried her face in them. "A-And, what happened?" Lucy asked.

"He said he had to leave and he didn't say anything else!" She said, her voice muffled. "I knew I shouldn't have said it. Of course he wouldn't feel the same way! I'm just this little girl he feels he should take care of because of what happened before!"

Lucy groaned mentally. If only Gajeel told her his true feelings, and if only Levy would stop feeling so low about herself! "N-No, Levy! I'm sure he doesn't think that way." She comforted the girl. "There must be some misunderstanding. I mean…with the way you two are, I just can't see that he doesn't feel the same way about you!" Lucy said. _Please let this cheer her up!_

Levy looked up and sniffed. She wiped her tears. "Maybe you're right, I should go to him and ask him why he just left!" She said, standing up determinedly, although it also seemed that she is angry about the whole situation.

"Levy! It's not wrong to ask him about this, but you should take things easy and calmly. If you don't, he might react in a way that would make the both of you upset." Lucy advised with a smile. _Though I never thought there would be a day when I would give love advice…_ She thought.

Levy nodded. "Okay, I'll be as gentle as possible." She said. "But why do I have to be the gentle one when he was the one who just upped and left…" She mumbled on as she left Lucy's house, with the blonde haired girl laughing lightly and wondering if Levy and Gajeel would be alright.

* * *

><p>Gajeel had been wandering around since he left Levy at the café. He walked aimlessly in the mall at first, and after about nearly an hour, he went to the park. And there he saw Mirajane and Freed walking together. It was not surprising after what he witnessed that day when Mira confronted Freed. And Gajeel was also noticed by Mirajane and Freed. "Gajeel! What a pleasant surprise." Mira said.<p>

He wasn't quite sure whether he wanted to talk about anything with her. But she was walking towards him rather quickly. "You look **blue**. What's wrong?" She asked with a smile.

Was that a pun?

"Blue?" He repeated questioningly.

"It means you look sad or depressed." Mirajane said, the same smile plastered on her face. "Did something happen that made you…**blue**?" She asked, emphasizing the word 'blue'. It seemed as if she knew something happened between him and Levy.

Gajeel took a step back. He looked at Freed, who averted his gaze. Damn, there's no help available. "Nothing happened." He said.

"Nothing **blue** happened?" She asked again. They both knew clearly what the 'blue' meant.

"Nothing blue happened!" Gajeel yelled.

Mirajane placed her hand on her hips. "There is. I know it," She hissed. "So you tell me right now about this **blue** incident." She said.

Gajeel heard a small shriek from Freed. "Alright, alright. Just calm down." He said, groaning inwardly. And so the three took a seat in the park and Gajeel told Mira and Freed what had happened between him and Levy earlier, as well as his hesitance on telling her his feelings.

"I…was kind of scared she might like someone else and not me." He said. "So I couldn't ask her what she meant."

Mirajane smiled. "Ask her."

Gajeel scowled. "I just told you, I couldn't do it."

"So overcome that fear and ask her." Mira said. "Or would you rather prefer to be where you are now?" She asked.

Gajeel fell silent. He didn't want to leave things hanging as well, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't look her in the eye unless he asked her how she feels about him. He knew that in order to do that, he had to overcome that fear. He got up. "Later." He mumbled, and Mirajane and Freed smiled encouragingly at him.

* * *

><p>Levy had run over to Gajeel's house after she left Lucy's, but he wasn't home. "So he hasn't come home yet…" She said to herself, disappointed. She pouted. The sky was a shade of orange, yellow, and red. <em>Maybe he's getting dinner?<em> She thought to herself as she went to the shopping district, deciding to get dinner herself, and hoping to meet him there.

Passing by various food stalls, she found no tall, muscular, black haired person. She sighed. Well, she should have expected this much, since she wasn't even sure where he is. She ended up buying dinner – _korokke_ and prawn and vegetable salad – that she bought for tonight and for tomorrow morning.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Gajeel headed to Levy's house after his talk with Mirajane. Knocking her door a few times, there was no response. After trying again a few more times, the door still did not open. <em>So she's not home<em>, he thought. Should he wait until she gets back or look for her?

When he thought about when he left her at the café, it may have seemed sudden and she may have misunderstood it as him being upset at her. But it was too late to regret. Anyway, she's bound to come back home at the end of the day, and so he decided to wait for her.

Levy stopped by the supermarket and bought a carton of chocolate chip ice cream. Only after she bought it did she frown. _I've been eating a lot of sweets_, she thought. _Oh well, what's stopping me from eating what I like_, she thought as she walked back home.

She rummaged in her bag for her key when she noticed a familiar person leaning on the wall across her door, with his arms across his chest. She stood still. "Gajeel." She said softly, and it was heard by him.

Gajeel turned to look at her. "I was waiting." He said. "I need to tell—no, ask you about earlier." He looked nervous.

Levy slipped the key into her doorknob and opened the door. "Shall we have dinner together, then? I bought enough for two." She said as she opened the door to let him in. He entered silently. She looked calm, but she was a nervous wreck inside. She didn't know if she could tell him once again of her feelings for him.

Gajeel, on the other hand, wondered what she was thinking about. It only made him feel as though she didn't have feelings for him the same way he did for her since she looked very calm and polite, and maybe almost distant. Well, it was expected that a friendship wouldn't be the same as it used to be when feelings that went beyond friendship is involved, but he couldn't just let his thoughts hang still in his mind as it is right now. He needed to ask.

But Levy was walking all over the house. At first she left the food she bought in the kitchen, and then she headed to her bedroom where she closed the door for a few minutes only to come out in a simple shirt and shorts. After that she went to the kitchen once again.

"Levy, I've got a question." Gajeel said, although all he could see of her at the moment is her back as she was placing the food on plates.

"No need to rush. We'll talk over dinner." Levy said cheerfully, although she was trying hard to keep herself composed. She didn't know what he was going to ask her, but she hoped it wasn't something that will have her stuttering.

And so during dinner, while they ate, they started to talk. At first it was a trivial conversation, where they asked each other what happened after the meeting at the café, except Gajeel skipped the part where he met Mira and Freed and Levy skipped the part where she met Lucy.

But Levy knew that she couldn't avoid the conversation.

"So, are you ready for the question I've been meaning to ask?" Gajeel asked. He knew she was trying to avoid the conversation.

She felt warmer from embarrassment and looked at her plate. "…Go ahead."

Then Gajeel felt his face become warmer. But he couldn't stop now. "So, what we talked about when we were at the café, what did you mean by it?" He asked.

That's vague, she thought. "What do you mean, 'what did you mean'?" She asked. "I said what I said!" She said, unable to repeat it and blushing profusely.

He frowned at her. "I get that you like someone, but…" He paused for a moment for the big question. "Who is it?"

Levy paled. He doesn't know? "Oh, stop joking, Gajeel. I know you know. I'm not going to say it." She said.

"Why the fuck do you think I'm asking you? It's because I don't know who you like!" He raised his voice slightly, surprising her. He cringed, although it was unnoticeable. "Look," He spoke in a softer tone. "All you said was that you could understand those girls. So I can guess that you like someone. But who is it?"

In Levy's mind, she became confused. How is it possible that he doesn't know? She thought it was obvious after what she said. She gulped. "Um, I…" She looked anywhere but at him.

He grinned at her, although he was faking it. "What, you don't trust me? I won't tell the guy."

Hearing him say that made her look at him, and she saw his grin. She started to feel sure that he wouldn't feel the same way as her. "I trust you, but I'm scared to tell you."

He sighed. "Don't be stupid."

"Stop calling me stupid." She shot back.

"Then tell me."

Levy clenched her fists, which were place on the table. Gajeel looked at them, and saw her knuckles turning white. Was it so hard to tell him? If anyone, it would be him to feel crappy after knowing who it is she likes, regardless of who it is. "…Fine, if it's so—"

"It's you, Gajeel!" She shouted out, silencing and surprising him. "Are you happy now? It's you!" She looked at him straight in the eye, her face red. "And I know you don't like me, so just save the excuses." Her voice quivered. "We should have just kept the conversation as it was. I shouldn't have told you this. Now we're probably…"

"H-Hey…" Gajeel tried to interrupt her.

"...awkward and it'll..."

"Stop."

"…should have just been friends…"

"Listen to me."

"…this is the worst thing ever…"

"Shut up!" He yelled, his voice booming and instantly silencing her in surprise.

"Okay." She squeaked and sat still.

And then he smiled; a genuine, gentle smile. Levy's eyes widened in surprise as he started to chuckle. "Maybe I'm the stupid one here." He said in relief.

Levy was still stuck on the thought that Gajeel doesn't like her, so she became confused. She was confused, but sad. She told herself she wouldn't cry over this, but with him right in front of her it was getting hard not to. She bit her lower lip as she held back the tears that welled in her eyes.

"I was afraid you would say you have feelings for someone other than me." He said, looking away in embarrassment.

She stared at him. "What…?" She whispered.

There was a tint of red across his cheeks. "I'm trying to say that…that I like you too." He said, nearly turning into a mumble. But she heard him clearly.

Levy didn't know how to react. She got up all of a sudden, catching him by surprise. "That's…that's weird!" She said.

"Weird?" He repeated incredulously, when he started to see the insecurity and restlessness in her. He stood up and walked towards her, his figure looming over hers. "You're that surprised?" He asked in amusement.

"Is this reality?" She asked rather innocently, earning a loud laugh from him.

And then he leaned down to her eye level. His hand held onto her own, and he gently placed his lips upon hers. It was as though everything went still for a moment, but it was a fleeting moment because he had broken the kiss. She placed her fingers over her lips, the feeling of his lips on hers lingering. She looked at him with a deep, shy blush and he grinned, walking towards her house door with their hands still held together.

He let go of her hand when he was about to turn the doorknob. But she wasn't ready to let him go yet. "Wait!" She said, moving towards him and into his arms, his back against the door. She flared up in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. Oh God, what am I doing? I'm such an idiot." She said, chiding herself when he wrapped his arms around hers and hugged her. She looked up at him with wide, shy eyes. "Calm down. I'll be here tomorrow morning." He said with a smirk.

She smiled widely as she rest her head on his chest. "This is surprising though, I thought you'd react in a more aggressive way."

"I could if you want me to." He grinned pervertedly.

"I'm not ready for that." She mumbled. …_Yet?_ She thought, but immediately flared in embarrassment once again from the very thought of that word.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

So much fluff, and it's so OOC. But I got them to confess, and they're officially going out, so that's a good thing? Or maybe it was too fast? *LeGasp*

Chapter title is Band Aid by Pixie Lott. Although the song is quite general, I think it really fits them, which is why I already decided that I have to use this song for one of the chapters.

Also,_ korokke_ is a yummy potato and beef dish that's very common in Japan, although I think it's originally from France.


	12. Once Upon A Dream

**12. Once Upon A Dream**

Levy woke up the next morning as usual, and got ready for school, as usual. She remembered everything that had happened but kept asking herself whether she was confused with a dream. It could very well be a dream, because how could such a dream become reality? She looked at herself in the mirror as she dressed in her school uniform. _I'm starting to wonder if I just made everything up in my mind, she thought to herself_, when she heard knocks on her door.

Fully dressed, she walked towards the door and opened it. She stared at the looming figure. It was Gajeel. Her mouth was slightly open as she let him in. "Good…morning…?" She said as she let him in.

"Morning," He said gruffly. "I told you I'd be here." He said.

She remembered him saying that. "Yeah…" She said, walking to the kitchen as though she was walking on air.

"You still can't believe what happened yesterday?" He asked amusedly.

She blushed. "I do! I do now!" She said, embarrassed.

"You do, _now_?" He asked with a snicker.

Purposely ignoring it, she turned to face him. "Breakfast?" She asked, though she had already started cooking for the both of them.

He snickered once again.

* * *

><p>They walked to school together, and people familiar with them stared at the new couple, but Levy and Gajeel did not care one bit. Levy was skipping as Gajeel walked at his normal pace which matched Levy's skips. While they were only walking side by side, and that was all they did, it stirred up rumours in the school.<p>

Not that it bothered Levy and Gajeel.

Two days later, everyone was sure that Levy and Gajeel are in a relationship, and they weren't all that surprised. Levy and Gajeel's closest friends (or in Gajeel's case, Levy's closest friends suddenly became his closest friends) were happy and welcomed the couple. While the bullies Levy faced still hated her, they dared not go near her now that Gajeel is her boyfriend.

And so Levy felt victorious, in a way. Any girl would be happy when the boy she likes becomes her boyfriend, and she is no longer being bullied by fan girls. "Bliss." She sang as she spent her lunch with Gajeel. While she ate her usual sandwich and drank milk, he was lying down at looking at the sky.

"What are you talking about?" He asked quizzically.

She shook her head. "Nothing, I just really like spending time with you like this." She said cheerily, and her words earned a faint blush from Gajeel. "Oh, silly, getting embarrassed over that." She giggled.

He rolled to his side, showing her his back and refusing to face her. Levy laughed as she placed a hand on his arm. "Are you mad? I'm sorry. But I'm not lying about what I said." She patted his arm.

Gajeel still didn't face her. "Well it's great that you're happy." He said. Although it sounded sarcastic at first, Levy realized it was his way of trying to be caring without sounding strangely gentle. _But he was so nice yesterday_, she thought.

"Hmph, you can't even face me? And yesterday we even kissed." She said with a fake huff.

And then Gajeel sat up, facing her again. "Want another?" He asked nonchalantly, to her surprise and shyness. Then his lips formed a grin. "We could even go further."

She blushed deeply at that, starting to stutter. "I-I…" She twiddled with her fingers.

He snickered. "It's alright." He patted her head, and the bell rang. He stood up and started to walk towards the door. He turned to face her. "We'll be late if you don't hurry."

She collected her rubbish and went beside him. _I wanted a kiss though…_ She thought to herself shyly.

* * *

><p>However, not everything was cloud nine for her. In the next few days, she started to realize that Gajeel would sometimes disappear. Not that she wanted to be a clingy girlfriend, but sometimes she wondered where he could have gone. But she didn't let it bother her too much, since she knew that distance was equally important for the individuals in a relationship. Even Lucy and Natsu didn't spend time together always, despite Natsu being the one who always imposes on Lucy's privacy in her home—her bedroom, in particular.<p>

But Levy also had concerns. Sure, she would be anywhere he could find her, but he was often not anywhere she could find him. It irked her, and it worried her. What if he was hiding something? What if he didn't want her to find him? She knew those were silly thoughts in her head which she should let go of, since every time they were together, be it in their homes or outside, they had fun. She enjoys being with him, always.

Didn't he feel the same way?

_No, no, Levy! You can't think like this!_ She chided herself mentally, when she heard two voices from deep within the park of the school. It was an area where hardly anyone went to, because why would you want to go so far inside in a place that was so…deserted? But she felt that she heard a familiar voice, and so she walked further in to see who it was.

"Things change, and you've got to learn." She heard a voice say, and she knew that voice, she made no mistake. It was Gajeel. Who was he talking to?

"It's just…Juvia thought about our time before a lot, and can't let go of it." A girl said, and Levy hid behind a tree to see the two people. It was Gajeel, and that's…Juvia Lockser? She held back a gasp and silently stood there, knowing well that she was eavesdropping into their undoubtedly private conversation. Levy couldn't help but be suspicious. Was Juvia his ex-girlfriend? From the things they were saying, it sounds like they were quite intimate.

The bell rang, and the two headed out of the park, each of them taking different ways. Levy hid behind the tree and away from their sight, and once she was sure that they were gone, she made her way out from the park as well.

No, she shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. Besides, even if they were formerly in a relationship, it's different now. She's dating Gajeel. He wouldn't be dating another girl.

He wouldn't.

* * *

><p>She was tired herself of complaining about being the class head, but someone would take over in the next year, and that was something she looked forward to. The surprising and awfully sweet thing was that Gajeel offered to wait until she was done with everything she had to do, and he told her he would wait inside their classroom. Surely what she saw earlier was just something that wasn't so important. <em>Maybe Gajeel was telling her that he isn't into her anymore, and that he's going out with me<em>, she thought as she carried a stack of papers to the teacher's office.

And when she was heading back to the classroom, she spotted from afar a blue haired girl leave the classroom, and she felt something stuck in her throat. It's not good to jump to conclusions yet, Levy. She must have just…um, you know, talked with Gajeel about stuff, nothing important, she thought as she entered the classroom and a sullen looking Gajeel sitting in his seat. "H-Hey, I'm done." She said as she grabbed her bag. Perhaps she spoke a little softly but she was sure it was loud enough for him to hear. Despite that, he didn't turn his attention on her. "Gajeel," She called out a little louder. Still no response. "Gajeel!" She said, a whole lot louder this time, and he turned to face her, startled.

"Oh, you're back. Let's go." He said, getting up. He didn't notice the concern etched on her face as they walked back home together.

* * *

><p>"That's…well, I don't want to just think that he has something to do with her which is, you know, more than just friends." Levy said as she consulted Lucy about the current thoughts troubling her. Lucy knew Juvia, although she was in another class. Juvia was also from Phantom Lord, and she was apparently quite close to Gajeel, but whether it was because they once dated was another question. "It's not that I'm upset he's talking to his previous girlfriend, if she was, but it kind of makes me…jealous, I guess. And worried. Old feelings can return."<p>

Lucy placed her hand on Levy's own. "I think it's good if you talk to him about it though." She suggested. "I can't blame you for feeling insecure. I feel that way when Natsu and Lisanna spend time together but Natsu has assured me that I'm…the one he chose." She blushed lightly and had a smile on her face. Levy couldn't help but smile as well for her friend. "But you know, this also happened because I talked to Natsu about it, so I know it'll do you good if you talk to him about it." Lucy said.

Levy pondered for a moment. She was, to be honest, scared to bring it up. Bringing it up would make it seem as though she was accusing him of cheating on her. It also meant she was bringing up the past, when he was in Phantom Lord, and she knew he wasn't keen on talking about back then. Not when she was involved in it. But she couldn't simply wait and let things happen until it might be too late for her to do anything. She nodded at Lucy, and smiled. "I guess I should."

But should she really bring it up? After all, she only saw them together twice.

She **only** saw them twice. Who knows how often they've actually been meeting.

* * *

><p>There has to be a way to bring it up subtly, yet straight to the point. She was nervous. She had asked him to spend the day with her, and there was no problem for them since it is a Saturday. The problem is, how were they going to spend a day together without it ultimately being ruined with her question? No, trying to make the day perfect was just wishful thinking. When she brings up the matter, the day would surely be ruined.<p>

When they met at the large fountain in the park—Levy being fifteen minutes early, despite she told Gajeel that she only waited a few minutes—Levy was a nervous wreck, but she hid her inner emotions easily. Gajeel, on the other hand, was oblivious to what was going to happen later. Despite that, they spent the day as usual, and went to places where dates usually take place. But all through the date, she was contemplating on whether she should bring up the topic. _I have to! If I don't know, I'll be bothered by it for a long time!_ She thought to herself.

After dinner, Levy decided to walk around in the park. "I want to talk about something," She said, making Gajeel curious. And so they took a slow walk in the park, but Levy didn't say anything for the longest time.

"Just say it." He said gruffly. "What's to be scared about?"

Levy stopped walking, and seeing her stop made him stop. She looked at the ground and took a deep breath. "W-Well, I saw you and Juvia talking in the school park the other day…and the day before yesterday, when I went to hand the stack of papers to the teacher. S-So I was wondering what you were talking about, and who she is…to you." She said, a small weight on her shoulders lifting from finally letting her concerns out. But it was too soon to be relaxing.

There was a pause that dragged for a minute or two. She was starting to become worried, and she didn't want him to take it the wrong way. "It's okay if there was once something between you two; I just wanted to know what you were talking about—"

"I don't want to talk about it." He said, looking away from her.

She felt a lump in her throat again. "Why not?" She asked. "I mean, it's not like there's anything to hide, right?" She looked at him, but he refused to look her way, and eventually he turned around to walk ahead. She followed after him. "Gajeel, why won't you tell me?" She asked, and was irritated, and then agitated. "Tell me what's going on!"

"I don't need to tell you what's going on, and you don't need to know!" His red eyes looked irritatedly at her, and they pierced through her heart.

The lump in her throat was still there, but her arms dropped to her sides and she looked up at him, unemotionally. "Fine." She said, turning around and leaving him. She felt tears well in her eyes, but she held them back. She was not going to cry. She gritted her teeth.

If Gajeel won't tell her, then she'll just talk to Juvia Lockser.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Oooooh drama. I wanted to finish this but I thought of having this turn of events.

Chapter title is Once Upon a Dream from Disney's Sleeping Beauty (I do love that classic).


	13. Any Girl

**13. Any Girl**

Levy sighed as she looked at the mirror, pulling the ends of her lips with her fingers to make them into an uplifting curve. She dropped her hands, her lips returning to a thin line. She always had conflicting, indecisive thoughts. She wanted to meet Juvia right now and ask her what they had between them, but at the same time she didn't want to be a nosy, inconsiderate partner. If Gajeel didn't want to tell her, then shouldn't she respect that?

She whimpered as she walked out of her house and to school. Her gloom was not unnoticed by her friends, including Jet and Droy. They suspected something to happen. What good could come from a brash, gruff, uncaring person such as Gajeel? Levy is the sweetest girl ever, but she just looked at the wrong guy.

All through classes, she couldn't look at Gajeel. On the other hand, Gajeel didn't seem to look any different from usual, and that upset her. She wished he could just tell her a little bit, just some small bite of truth, and reassure her that she shouldn't be worried.

No, rather than being worried, she was jealous.

And her jealousy was eating her up.

* * *

><p>Levy was well aware that she was jealous. She was jealous, and worried that Gajeel would slip out of her hands for a girl who knew him long before she did. Maybe they weren't talking about whatever she thought when she overheard them. Maybe she was thinking too much. Maybe she had to keep herself composed and think about it, and maybe talk to Gajeel about it again.<p>

But she still wished he told her something.

Even now, when she glanced at him—the glances were obvious, no doubt—he wouldn't talk to her, not even address her or look back at her. Why should there be secrets between them, she wondered. Why did he have to leave her hanging?

"Hm, talk to him again." Lucy said. "But I always thought Juvia was obsessed with Gray. Maybe she had a change of heart? But we can't be sure that Juvia and Gajeel did have some intimate connection."

Levy looked at her and nodded. "You think I should talk to him? Maybe I just sound annoying."

"You're insecure, and you want answers, so I don't see why you shouldn't talk it over with him." The blonde said, sipping her mixed fruit juice as she sat in the school park bench with Levy over lunch. It was just the two of them, because Levy didn't want to disclose her feelings and situation to the rest, not because she didn't trust them, but because she didn't want to make it a bigger deal than it already was to her. "Even though he must have reasons why he doesn't want to tell you, I think it's unfair for him to yell at you, and to keep it completely hidden from you. You have to tell him you're insecure, Levy. He has to know that his secrets are upsetting you terribly."

Levy thought over Lucy's words during the second half of school.

Perhaps she was trying too hard. Perhaps she needed to take a break; let things cool down between them and maybe patch things up again once things are calmer. Taking that course, she decided to let things cool down.

* * *

><p>Levy looked at the clock as she sat in the library, dully and mindlessly watching the second hand tick by as time passed. She was supposed to be studying, but her mind wandered off far too quickly to Gajeel. She didn't blame him entirely for what happened—she demanded too much and he wasn't the kind of person who could disclose things about himself easily, unlike her. She sighed inaudibly and looked to her side. She spotted a familiar person sitting a table from her.<p>

It was Juvia, and it seemed as if she had come to study as well. Levy looked at her for a moment, wondering if she should at least talk to her. It wouldn't do any harm to talk, would it? She wasn't going to pry into what it was that Gajeel and Juvia talked about. She just wanted to get to know Juvia. Levy stood up and walked towards Juvia's table, taking a seat across her.

Juvia looked up from her books to see Levy's smiling face, and she held back a gasp. "L-Levy!" She said, and Levy waved in response.

"Hi, Juvia. Is it okay if I sit here? I just thought we could get to know each other." She said. "Of course, if you don't want to, then it's okay."

"No, no, Juvia is fine with it! But…maybe we should talk outside the library." Juvia said.

Levy giggled lightly. "You're right, let's go out and talk." She stood and walked towards the exit with her books with Juvia following behind.

* * *

><p>Gajeel couldn't tell her what he talked with Juvia but he felt guilty for yelling at her yesterday. He had to apologize for that. He knew that she wanted to talk to him and he knew she wanted to know about it, but he just couldn't find it in himself to her because he was afraid of what she might think.<p>

He was not the nicest person in the world, and he admitted it himself. But he didn't want to look like a total villain in front of the person he likes. And that was why he just couldn't tell her.

But with the way things were going now, he didn't think their relationship would turn out well. _Still_, he thought in frustration. _I just…I'm just afraid_.

He searched for her in the school knowing that she had not left yet. He stopped, thinking for a moment where she could be. It was not as if she had any errands to run today. He walked slowly, passing by the library, and then he stopped. Turning back to the library, he knew it was one of the best places to look for her. Just then, Levy and Juvia opened the doors and appeared in front Gajeel.

He paled slightly at the sight of them, thinking that they had been talking about the one thing he didn't want Levy to know about. Juvia shut the library door when she saw Gajeel. "Oh." She said, and he started to look a little frightening. Juvia held back a shriek.

"Why are you together? What have you talked about?" He growled, to Levy's surprise and Juvia's nervousness.

Levy raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was that made him so angry. "What are you talking about? We just—"

"I get it. You were hoping to find out from Juvia because I didn't want to tell you." He said agitatedly.

Levy clenched her fists. "It wasn't my intentions to find out what you didn't want to tell me from her." She said, upset. "I just wanted to become her friend."

Gajeel turned his attention to Juvia, who looked nervous. "Juvia didn't tell her anything, really!" She said, and Levy smiled at Juvia.

"It seems we can't have a proper talk now. It's okay, Juvia. I'll make sure Gajeel believes you. You should get home." Levy faced back to Gajeel. "Gajeel, I really don't know anything."

He scoffed. "Even if your intentions weren't to find out anything now, it would have been your intentions later on." He said. "Why can't you just accept that I won't tell you?" He said, looking even angrier.

Juvia fretted about. "G-Gajeel, Juvia really didn't—"

"Go home, Juvia." Gajeel said, his voice low and menacing.

Levy smiled reassuringly at Juvia. "Don't worry, Juvia. I'll take care of this myself."

Juvia hesitated, but she thought it would be better if the two talked it out between them so she left the area, although she was not feeling calm at all. It could be her fault that things became this way, but she didn't want to cause any more trouble than she already did.

Levy was equally angry and hurt that Gajeel would say such a thing, and she turned around and walked away hastily. "We're going to talk somewhere else," She said, but she was stopped by Gajeel who turned her around to face him again.

"Stop running away." He hissed.

Levy gritted her teeth and pushed his hand away gently. "We are moving away from here, to the park." She said through her teeth, and resumed walking away outside hastily. If he wasn't going to follow her, then fine. But she turned around when they arrived at a secluded area of the park and he was right behind her, his lips in a thin line and looking extremely unpleased. Dismissing his expression, she looked away from him. "I never intended to run away. I'll tell you again, I don't know anything." She said calmly. "I won't deny that I wanted to ask her about what you talked about, but I'm honestly telling you that I just wanted to get to know her better."

Gajeel didn't seem to soften his expression. "Is that your plan, to be friendly with her, and then have her tell you?"

Levy whipped her head to look at him straight in the eye, the hurt evident in her eyes. "How could you say that? I can't believe you could accuse me of that." She said, tears prickling her eyes. "I know Juvia and you are friends, so I thought it would be nice if I could be her friend too. That's all there is to it!" She yelled.

Gajeel faltered, falling silent. He didn't know why he could accuse her of that as well. He looked down at her betrayed expression, a sinking pit in his stomach making him feel guilty and terrible. He had never intended to do this. He was too afraid of telling her his secret that he reacted in an unwanted way which only hurt her.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why can't you…" He heard her sob as she stared at the ground. "Why can't you understand my feelings too?" She asked through her tears.

He felt a sting in his heart. "I'm sorry," He said. "I didn't mean to say that."

She looked back at him furiously, tears streaming down her face and catching him in surprise. She punched him on his chest, and although it was light, he felt it harder than any punch he ever took. She clenched his shirt and took a deep breath. "I..." She paused, and he anticipated what she was going to say. "I don't understand! Why must there be secrets between us? You don't…trust me?" She asked.

Gajeel froze. No, it was far from that. He didn't want her to lose trust in him! "No, that's not—"

"I hate feeling this way!" She punched him again. "Don't you get it? I know it's silly and unreasonable, but I don't like it when you're talking to Juvia! What do you have in relation with her?" She asked.

"What are you spouting on about?" He asked her incredulously, holding her hands to stop her from her weak assaults. "Juvia and I are just—" He stopped, realizing how she felt. "Are you jealous?" He asked.

She sobbed. "I am! I am jealous! I have always been jealous, but I never said it until now! Juvia has known you far longer than I have! She's sweet and pretty, and she probably wouldn't act the way I am right now!" She cried. "And you…you probably think I'm an idiot now." She said dejectedly.

And then she heard him stifle his laughter. She stared up at him with wide eyes for a second, and then she became upset, pulling away from him. "Hey, I'm being serious here!" She flushed red from embarrassment and upset. "A-After all I've said, you're just going to laugh at me?"

"Because you say cute stuff." He said, snickering.

Her eyes widened. "C-cute?" She huffed. "It feels as if none of my words even matter to you…" She mumbled only to feel his arms wrap around her small body. She looked up at him in surprise, blushing from the display of affection. "G-Gajeel!"

He sighed. "Sorry. I didn't know you felt this way. Juvia and I are just friends." He said, breaking the hug but keeping her in his embrace. "We were…talking about the past." He said. Before she could ask anything else he quickly added, "That's all you need to know."

"…For now?" She asked him after a pause, making him look down at her in surprise. She looked bold and determined, and most of all, gentle. "I've heard rumours of your time in Phantom Lord, Gajeel. It's not as if I was unaware that you were…horrible, before." She said. "But I'm willing to accept it!"

He looked away, still reluctant to tell her. _She doesn't need to know_, he thought. _I don't want to tell her_. "I…" He paused. "Give me time until I'm ready to tell you." He finally said.

Levy smiled. "Of course." After a moment, she frowned, making Gajeel confused. "But you don't need to tell me…"

He looked down at her. She wanted to know, and he could tell from her expression, but he knew she wasn't lying about what she said as well. He thought that maybe…maybe he shouldn't feel so afraid anymore. "I'll tell you. Just not now." He said.

She gave a warm smile. "When you're ready." She said reassuringly. They started to walk out of the park and back home.

"Don't you know that Juvia's obsessed with Gray?" Gajeel asked her.

Levy looked away. "I do." She said with a tiny voice.

"And you're still jealous?" He asked with a snicker.

"I can't stop my emotions!" She said with a huff.

"I'll forgive you since you're cute." He grinned.

She blushed.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I finally finished this chapter! YAY! I admit it's my fault, I've been distracted with video games and I've been going out with friends a lot. On another note, I'm probably going to be finishing this story soon (this time, I will be).

Chapter title is Any Girl/Onna no ko wa dare demo by Tokyo Jihen. I'm currently obsessed with it.


	14. Tiny Star

**14. Tiny Star**

Although they both made up yesterday, Gajeel still couldn't help but feel tense whenever he thought about telling her his secret. In truth, it wasn't a secret, but just his past that he didn't think he could keep to himself. There was a mixture of emotions whenever he thought about talking to Levy about it. The only person who knew in Fairy Tail was Juvia, and that was probably all they talk about when they meet. He couldn't help but smile when thinking that Levy was jealous about his relationship with Juvia. It was also funny how he's gone this far, from being a mean, scary guy from Phantom Lord, to a person who loves his girlfriend so much.

A guy who loves his girlfriend so much that he couldn't bear to let her know anything that made him bad, even though she knows that he wasn't always a good guy.

"And what are you smiling for, Gajeel?" He heard the teacher ask, snapping out of his thoughts and hearing a giggle from Levy. Gajeel shook his head as the teacher narrowed his eyes for a moment, and continued the lesson.

When the teacher wasn't looking, Levy placed a small paper-folded crane on his table, and smiled. He took the paper crane in his hand and gave a grin at her. It was tiny in his hand, and he dared not do anything to it, fearing that he could crumple it.

* * *

><p>It was after their talk that Levy became closer to Juvia, and Gajeel understood that she wouldn't pry his past out of Juvia and wait until he would tell her himself. Levy also felt pathetic for feeling jealous over Juvia and Gajeel's relationship because it was completely, utterly, obvious that Juvia was head over heels in love with Gray. Poor girl, Gray just seems completely oblivious to her feelings, and Levy couldn't help but comfort Juvia.<p>

"It must be great for you, Levy, that you have Gajeel looking at you only." Juvia sniffed.

Levy blushed and gave a shy laugh, and smiled widely. "I am." She said. "But I'm sure you'll get your chance, Juvia! Gray might seem like a complete idiot right now, but maybe he likes you too! So don't give up." She said encouragingly. "And if things don't work out between you two, then I'm sure there are others."

Juvia nodded, but still sniffed. Levy smiled, knowing how much Juvia loves Gray. After school, Juvia, Levy and Gajeel decided to walk home together when they saw Gray and another boy talking. "Gray-sama is talking with someone from another academy?" Juvia asked.

Levy thought for a moment. "Well, I think his name is…Lyon Bastia?" Levy said as they neared the two. It was then that Lyon spotted the three, and his eyes widened into a love-filled gaze, and Gajeel felt a little uncomfortable by it.

Lyon turned all attention to Juvia. "What a beauty," He whispered, making Juvia stifle a shriek and take a small step back. Gray noticed the discomfort shown by Juvia, and he stepped between the two.

"Hey, Lyon. Don't creep her out." Gray said. Juvia looked at Gray in awe and love, and Levy giggled at Juvia's expressions. "You didn't even ask her name, how do you expect her to be your friend?"

Lyon looked at Gray, narrowing his eyes for a moment when he smirked. "So you are not an obstacle, are you, Gray?" He asked, and silence fell within the group. Juvia hoped Gray would say something that proved he had some feelings for her, but after a moment, he shrugged.

"I guess…not." Gray said hesitantly.

Juvia felt her heart break into pieces, and she looked ready to cry. Levy felt sorry for Juvia. "Juvia…" Levy called out softly.

"Gray-sama's a total idiot!" Juvia cried as she ran away, tears spilling from her eyes.

Lyon and Gray looked at Juvia who ran away, and Levy did not hesitate to run after Juvia. "O-Oi, Levy!" Gajeel called after her. He looked at the two boys. "…You're pretty dumb, Gray." He said indifferently as he ran after Levy.

Gray scratched his head. "It's not as though I haven't noticed her…" He mumbled.

* * *

><p>It wasn't hard for Gajeel to catch up to Levy, although she was fast. They found Juvia sitting on the public park bench, and she merely sighed when she saw the two. "Juvia just didn't think properly just now, sorry." She said dejectedly.<p>

Levy shook her head and smiled. "I would have done the same." She sat next to Juvia.

"Juvia feels very sad." She said as she looked at her hands placed on her lap. "But Juvia feels that it's probably a sign of moving on."

Levy felt sad about Juvia's decision, and Gajeel patted her head as a form of comfort. Levy looked up at Gajeel and nodded, knowing that it was Juvia's decision and she shouldn't tell her otherwise. "I think everything will work out great, Juvia." She said, and she had to admit that this was the best she could offer at the moment.

Juvia smiled and nodded. "Juvia will be okay, Levy. Thank you." Juvia smiled at Gajeel. "And thank you, Gajeel."

He merely grunted in response.

* * *

><p>Juvia requested to be left alone for the day and (although reluctantly) Levy and Gajeel parted with Juvia. While the couple walked home, Levy looked down. Gajeel, noticing his girlfriend's upset look, ruffled her head. "Come on, cheer up." He said.<p>

Levy looked up at him, her expression still sad. "I can't help but think they would look cute together." She said sadly, and she held onto his hand and leaned into him as they walked.

It was barely difficult for Gajeel to keep walking with Levy leaning into him, since she was so small and light, but she was adorable. Their fingers intertwined as they held hands and walked, and Gajeel felt that he should take the step to tell her about himself. He had a feeling that Juvia being rejected by Gray was part of the reason why she decided to move on. He guessed that the other reason would be because she had a past of her own which made her feel that she didn't deserve having a boyfriend like Gray.

Of course, her past was nowhere near as bad as his past. Not when she didn't kill anyone.

"Gajeel?" He snapped out of his thoughts when Levy called out to him.

"Uh, yeah?" He asked, earning a pout from the girl.

"Clearly you weren't listening." She said, and only then did he realize they were standing in front of Levy's home. She unlocked the door and she stepped in, Gajeel following and sitting down on the couch. She plopped down next to him with a wide smile. "I was saying, we should—"

"Before that," He interrupted, earning a curious look from her. "I think I should tell you everything." He said.

Levy looked a little confused when she realized what he was talking about. "Oh." She said softly, but gave a smile. "But it's fine if you don't want to yet, you know. I'm not going to demand you to tell me." She said.

"But I think it's important for me to tell you now." He said, surprised by her response. It was as if she didn't want to hear it.

"Well, if you say so. But we only decided yesterday that you needed time, so I thought it would be too fast…" She said, looking away.

She definitely looked as if she didn't want to hear it. "Isn't it you who doesn't want to hear it?" He asked, making her eyes widen.

"What?" She asked, but looking at his narrowed red eyes, she cringed slightly. He gave a small sigh. "I'll hear it." She said after a second, and gripped the hem of her skirt. "You can't blame me for being scared of the truth. We all have those feelings."

He looked at her guilty and embarrassed expression, and placed his arms across his chest. "I'll tell you, and I'll accept whatever decisions you make." He said, undoubtedly saying it in a negative way. Levy stayed silent, and he decided to continue. "Long story short, I killed someone back when I was in junior high." He said, making her whip her head to stare at him, her eyes wide. He scratched his head lightly. "Well, I wasn't alone. I had friends who took part in it. I was a delinquent before Fairy Tail. Sometimes I stole things, sometimes I got into fights, sometimes I bullied, and one time, I killed." He said. "He was someone from another school, and he made one of my friends pissed." He gave a sigh. "We got into a fight, and my friends and I beat him up. I didn't care about what happened between them, I just thought it was fun. And then…" He paused for a moment. "My friend pulled out a gun and shot the guy."

Levy silently looked at him, her expression calm. She wasn't quite sure how to take it, but at the same time she knew Gajeel felt guilty about what had happened in the past. "That friend of mine…well," He chuckled darkly. "He wasn't really a friend. He was just…someone I spent my time with." He said. "He got caught, and he's in prison. After that, Master Jose took me in Phantom Lord, and he treated me as a guy who liked to fight and bully, and hurt people." He frowned. "And his treatment made me feel it was okay to do it." He buried his face in the palm of his hands. "But I know after I met you and Master Makarov that everything's just fucking wrong, and I don't know how to get past what I've done."

Levy bit her lower lip in sympathy, seeing his broken form and feeling the need to be there for him. She placed her hand on his shoulder gently, and he looked at her. She had tears running down her face but smiled. She knew that he knew he wasn't the direct cause of the boy's death, but his guilt was still there to haunt him. "It's not as scary as I thought it would be." She said softly, and sniffed. "I can't hate you, you idiot!" She said. "I know you feel guilty for that boy's death, and I think…" She clasped her hand with his large ones. "I think it's great that you feel guilt over what has happened."

Gajeel looked at her tearful yet gentle brown eyes. "It shows me that you're different from back then; that you're trying to repent, and you're just as kind as I am." She grinned. "And I love you." She placed her soft lips against his, kissing him gently. "Of course," She said when she broke the kiss. "I don't approve of your delinquent days, but I can see that you don't too." She grinned.

Gajeel stared at Levy, and he could only hug her tight. "You're stupid." He said after a while, earning a light slap on his arm. And then he kissed her deeply, bringing her closer and hugging her tighter, and she clutched his shirt and brought her hands around his neck. They broke the kiss and Levy blushed profusely.

"S-So…before all of this, I was saying something, and that something was whether we could go on a trip over the holidays." She said, her blush still a deep red. "You do know our holidays are coming up, right?"

Gajeel kept her in his arms. "No, I didn't." He said, and she rolled her eyes helplessly. "But a vacation would be great."

She giggled. "Right, and we'll call Lucy and Natsu, and we should call—"

"What?" He asked dejectedly. "I thought it was only the two of us."

Levy looked up at him. "Well, the more, the merrier, isn't it?" She asked innocently, and she didn't seem to understand Gajeel's wish for them to be alone together. He sighed, and then smiles at his girlfriend.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Ah...this is the final chapter. Maybe. I don't know if I'm going to write anymore. Maybe I'll write one more chapter and wrap it up. I might just make this the last chapter though. Thanks for reviewing!


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